A Year in the Life of Horitsuba
by Amaya Kuroi
Summary: READ! Multi-chaptered fic! Kuro-fai main pairing.YAOI boyboy Kurogane's life as the gym teacher at Horitsuba High is changed forever when Fai enters the school as the chemistry teacher.... cute and fluffy! with a dash of drama and angst!
1. January: Meeting

~Hello everybody! This is my first official story on fanfiction dot net! i am very excited! :) please read and tell me what you think! This will be a multi-chaptered fic, and this first chapter is to test the waters! i have three chapters written and if i get people who are interested, i will gladly upload them! There will be a total of 24 chapters, i really hope you will like it! *bows* thank you very much!~

**Anime/Manga: **Tsubasa reservoir chronicles, based on CLAMP's omake: Horitsuba  
**Couples:** KURO-FAI, hints of Syao-Saku and Dou-Wata ^///^  
**Rating: **T (mostly for later chapters)  
**Warnings: **YAOI! (boy on boy love) no like, turn back now! you have been warned. Swearing, and violence in later chapters  
**Disclaimer:** I love CLAMP, but i do not channel their genius, all characters belong to CLAMP. Story is for fan-purposes only.

**Chapter 1-January: Meeting**

It was dawn, and the windows at Horitsuba High were dark, save for one. Grumbling could be heard from inside, then a loud crash, followed immediately by a loud oath.

"Damn that witch..." Kurogane grumbled. "It's 5:30 in the bloody morning!!!" Kurogane continued muttering, heaving great stacks of chairs off the stage, and placing them in rows across the large floor. Kurogane's already impressive scowl deepened, as he recalled Yuuko (the witch)'s instructions.

_"Come now Kurogane-sensei! You know I would only ask the STRONGEST person in the school to do this." Yuuko smirked, crimson eyes flashing as she stroked Kurogane's bicep with a long, pale finger. Kurogane jerked away roughly._

_"No way in hell." Kurogane growled. "Shit, why do I have to set up the damn auditorium?!" Yuuko wagged her finger in front of Kurogane's face._

_"Language, Kuro-sensei! I do not allow the teachers in my school to speak in such a manner! Tsk tsk!" Kurogane scowled._

_"You didn't answer my question witch!"_

_"What a rude thing to say! What a mean person Kuro-sensei is!" Yuuko said, waving her hands dramatically. Kurogane's eyebrow twitched._

_"Hmph."_

_"I have two very important people coming today and I want everything ready for them! And..." Yuuko's eyes darkened, her face suddenly became serious, and she placed her long fingers gently on Kurogane's chin. "....i might have to lower your pay for disobeying your boss." Kurogane visibly twitched. He fixed his gaze on the wall just behind Yuuko, burning a hole into the white stucco._

_"Fine." Yuuko's insane smile came back, and she turned around quickly, her black hair swinging in a wide arc._

_"As long as you understand!" Yuuko said and began prancing down the hall. She stopped abruptly at the corner. "Oh! And make sure you are here to begin at 5:30 a.m. sharp! She then dashed quickly around the corner snickering._

_"WHAT!?!?!?!"_

Kurogane slammed the stack of chairs on the floor. A crack appeared in the floor but Kurogane ignored it.

"There must be a million chairs I have to put up in here!" It was actually somewhere around 954,867, but who was counting? "Damn!" Kurogane yelled. "I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for the fact that creepy witch is probably watching me!" He considered putting his middle finger in the air for said witch to see, but decided against it. Damn disagreeable woman. Kurogane sighed loudly and continued to set up the chairs. When he finally finished, he looked up at the clock. 7:50. Over an hour until the "brats" got here. Kurogane groaned, putting his hand on his forehead.

"Ugh, might as well do some grading or something." He left the auditorium and walked through the dark halls of the school, coming to his office. He fumbled with his keys and unlocked the door. He flipped the light switch, stepping inside. He walked over to his desk, collapsed in his chair, and began going through the pile of papers on his desk. When he was done, he looked at the clock again. 8:01. Kurogane was strongly tempted to band his head on his desk. He taught gym, of course there wasn't much paperwork, thats why he liked it. He grunted and stood up. He walked to the equipment room, growling, and resigned himself to organizing it. He wasn't a very "organize-y" person, but he sure as hell had nothing better to do. He scowled again and began organizing. Once he had organized the kickballs by serial number, he glanced at the clock again. 8:58. _Finally. _

"And cue the brats." Kurogane grumbled. He opened his door, and sure enough, floods of teenagers. A loud beep sounded, and the students looked up at the intercom.

"Ohayo minna-san!!! The lovely Miss Yuuko speaking! I want everyone to come to the auditorium right away! We are welcoming two newcomers to our school today and I want everyone to be there!" there were murmurs and some "heh"s of curiosity as the students began chattering.

"Oh! And that means you too Kurogane-sensei!!" Yuuko's voice added. Kurogane, his head still poking out the door, growled darkly as the students started looking at him and giggling.

"Oh come now, Kuro-kuro-sensei! Don't make such a scary face!" Yuuko laughed. The students giggles increased in volume.

"Yeah?! How do you know what my face looks like right now you creepy witch!?" Kurogane bellowed, even though he knew very well she could not hear him, much less see him from her office. Though sometimes he wondered.

"Oh Kuro-sensei! Don't say such mean things! Stop yelling and get yourself to the auditorium!" Kurogane stormed out of his office, slammed the door, and pounded down the hallway. Students stopped giggling and scattered, quickly getting out of the enraged gym teacher's path. It was well-known what an angry Kurogane-sensei could do. Kurogane stomped all the way to the auditorium, all the way up to the front row, where the teachers were required to sit, and slammed himself in his chair.

_'Damn' _Kurogane thought. _'first day back from New Year's break and I already want to leave. Tch.' _Kurogane folded his arms and closed his eyes. _'Damn I'm tired' _He contented himself to dose off, hardly paying attention as the auditorium filled with students, so tired he could barely hear Yuuko as her normally loud voice was amplified through the microphone on stage.

"Welcome back everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful New Year's! Saa! We're all here to welcome two new additions to our school! A new teacher and a new student! First our new teacher!" Kurogane, who was still dozing, jumped violently, eardrums ringing, and was almost blown out of his chair as every single girl in the audience started squealing EXTREMELY loudly.

"What the hell..." Kurogane groaned, and looked up at the stage, one finger in his still ringing ear, to ascertain what had caused the deafening uproar. His mouth unwillingly dropped open. (just a little) Walking across the stage in a black turtleneck and pants, a white lab coat swirling around his legs, was a beautiful blond-haired man. He had a slim graceful figure, and a thin, delicately shaped face. A gentle smile graced his visage, and he possessed gorgeous light blue eyes. Kurogane couldn't help but stare (having the sense to close his mouth) as the man continued walking, almost dancing, such was his grace, to stand by Yuuko.

_'No man should be that pretty.' _Kurogane thought as Yuuko started speaking again.

"This is Fai Fluorite-sensei everyone, he will be taking Kazuki-sensei's place as chemistry teacher!"

"Yorushukuonagaishimasu!" Fai said brightly, face breaking in a large smile. Thuds and sighs rang through the auditorium as girls fainted.

_'Damn even his voice is pretty' _Kurogane thought still staring at the blond man. Light blue eyes slid to meet dark red ones, and Kurogane jumped, quickly switching his face to a scowl. Fai gazed at Kurogane for a short while before winking devilishly, causing Kurogane to turn his head away huffing. He refused to look at the blond again, and huffed again as a few more girls fainted.

"Hai! Now lets meet our new student!" Yuuko rang, and Kurogane glanced up to see the new student, keeping his eyes away from blue ones. A brown-haired, brown-eyed boy walked up onto the stage, dressed in the red Horitsuba uniform. He walked up to stand on the other side of Yuuko.

"Minna, this is Syaoran-kun! He will be joining the first-year D-block! Everyone welcome him properly!"

"Yorushikuonagaishimasu." Syaoran said, bowing his head politely. A few mutters ran through the auditorium, plus a few sighs, seems Syaoran had his share of fans as well. Kurogane sighed.

"Hai! Welcome to our school Syaoran-kun and Fai-sensei! Okay students, please return to your homeroom quickly!" Kurogane remained where he was and waited for the students to file out. He didn't have a homeroom class, so he had about an hour to kill. He decided to go to the staff room and get a coffee... a really BIG one. Just as he got up, he saw Yuuko sauntering towards him. He immediately went on the defensive.

"I don't care what you say witch, I am NOT taking the chairs down." Yuuko laughed, patting Kurogane's spiky black hair.

"Oh silly Kurogane! The student council will take care of that! What kind of person do you think I am?" Kurogane ruffled his now flat spikes growling.

"Tch" Yuuko draped one arm around Kurogane's shoulders, bringing her nose close to Kurogane's ear as she poked his cheek.

"So, Kurogane? What do you think of the new teacher?" Kurogane raised his eyebrow.

"Hah?"

"Fai-sensei, Fai-sensei! Isn't he absolutely gorgeous?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Oh sure, Fai was gorgeous, but there was no way he was going to tell Yuuko, of all people, he thought that blond was _pretty_. He was going to have to go home and look at some bikini models or something. Girl ones.

"Oh Kurogane, he's beautiful and even you know it! That aside, you better be nice to him! I'm counting on you to take care of him! Sayonara!" And just like that she flounced off. Kurogane just stood there for a second with a small sense of foreboding.

"What the..." He shook his head grumbling and decided on an even bigger coffee. He traversed through the halls until he came upon the staff room. He opened the door and walked in, beginning to pour his coffee, when he realized he wasn't the only person in the room. He turned around and almost had to do a double take. There in his white lab coat, sipping a cup of tea and smiling at Kurogane, was none other than Fai.

"Hello." Fai said. Kurogane just stared for a moment before nodding his head, turning back to his coffee.

"Yo" Kurogane heard a little tinkling sort of laugh, before Fai started talking again.

"You were the handsome black one in the front row." Kurogane blinked and turned around.

"Nani?" Fai gave a little laugh again before walking up to Kurogane and standing so they were about one inch apart. Kurogane twitched. This guy had the same disregard of proximity preferences as Yuuko. Not a good sign.

"So? Whats your name?" Fai said brightly, with a large grin. Kurogane's eyes narrowed. There was something strange about that smile, Kurogane didn't like it.

"Kurogane, Kurogane Yuou." Fai leaned back a little, touching his chin, face becoming contemplative.

"Kurogane, huh? Wah, what a scary name! Its not cute enough! I'll have to call you something else."

"Hah?" Kurogane's irritation was building. Rapidly.

"Something like..." Fai smiled again. "Kuro-pon?" Kurogane twitched.

"Kuro-tan?" A tic appeared in Kurogane's forehead.

"Kuro-chi? Kuro-pi?" Fai's eyes were dancing with devils as Kurogane started shaking. Fai pounded his fist on his hand.

"Ah, I know!" a radiant smile materialized on his face. "Kuro-wanwan!!" Kurogane snapped.

"You will NOT refer to me like a dog!!!!" Kurogane yelled, fist clenching and slowly inching its way in the air.

"Aww, but you are just like a big black puppy!"

"I AM NOT A PUPPY!!!" Fai threw his hands in the air before dashing out of the staffroom.

"Wah! Kuro-wanko is mad at me!" Kurogane roared like an animal and dashed out after a laughing Fai, his coffee forgotten. Students and teachers peeked curiously out into the hall, as Kurogane, who had now found a curtain rod, chased Fai madly around the school. In her office, Yuuko smiled over her glass of sake at the ruckus outside, It was the beginning of something wonderful at Horitsuba High.

~END~

**please please please tell me what you think!! an author thrives on critisism!!! clicky the reveiw button!! clicky!! (i will give cookies) ^_^ **


	2. January: School

Hello everyone!!! I'm back with the second chapter!!! THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO READ THE FIRST CHAPTER AND A **SPECIAL** THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO REVIEWED!!! ^_^

**Anime/Manga: **Tsubasa reservoir chronicles, based on CLAMP's omake: Horitsuba  
**Couples:** KURO-FAI, hints of Syao-Saku and Dou-Wata ^///^  
**Rating: **T (mostly for later chapters)  
**Warnings: **YAOI! (boy on boy love) no like, turn back now! you have been warned. Swearing, and violence in later chapters  
**Disclaimer:** I love CLAMP, but i do not channel their genius, all characters belong to CLAMP. Story is for fan-purposes only.

Okay i realize i am using some Japanese vocabulary (yes i am fluent in Japanese) よるしくお願いします！！！　and at the beginning of each chapter i will put up a glossary so you know the meaning of the words! I am going to put up the words for the last chapter also, sorry i forgot to do it then. ごめなさい。。。

Chapter 1

**Sensei- **（せんせい)　the honorific term used after a name meaning "teacher" also used as a regular term for teacher  
**Ohayo- **(おはよ）　"good morning" -gozaimasu- can be attatched to the end making it formal, used when talking to someone 'higher' than you or someone you don't know very well.  
**Minna- **（みんあ）　literally means "everyone"  
**San- **(さん）　　Honorific term used after a name commonly replaced in english as "Mr." or "Mrs."  
**Saa- **(さあ）　prerequisite to a sentence similar to "Now," or "so,"  
**Yorushukuonegaishimasu- **(よるしくお願いします) im not really sure how to put it literally, but it's a phrase used when you meet people, sometimes translated "please work with me" "or nice to meet you"  
**Hai- **(はい) "yes" used as a generally positive response  
**Sayonara- **（さよなら）　"Goodbye"  
**Nani- **(なに）　"what?"  
As for Kurogane's nicknames, well im not going to translate all of them but lets just say the are pretty much demeaning... haha **wanko** is the term for "puppy" **wanwan** is the otomotopia for a dog's bark.

Chapter 2

**Teme- **(てめ) literally "you" but its a teally mean way to say it equivilant to "damn you" not quite "bastard" but just as rude. mean little kuro-sama!  
**Seifuku- **(せいふく) "school uniform"  
**Gomen ne- **(ごめんね) "im sorry" adding ne to the end is a casual way to say it  
**Sou ka- **(そうか) "i see" or "is that so?"  
**Sake- **（さけ）rice wine, just pretty much alcohol in general  
**Oi- **（おい）sound for "hey" in order to get someone's attention  
**Doushite- **（どうして）"Why"  
**Baka- **（ばか）"idiot"  
**Ne- **（ね）"hey" used in a question, also used at the end of the sentence  
**Kendo- **（けんど）literally "sword art"  
**Judo- **（じゅど）art of fighting with the body and hands, similar to karate  
**Sugoi- **（すごい）"amazing"

**Chapter 2- January: School**

_'Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep'_ Kurogane groaned. He reached out and smacked his alarm clock roughly, when the oppressive noise did not vanish, he smacked it repeatedly until the pesky noise halted. He rolled over, staring at the dark ceiling. Tiny tendrils of dawn were beginning to peek through the blinds, casting a gray shadow across Kurogane's bedroom. Kurogane groaned again and heaved himself out of bed. He scratched his head grumbling, blinking, trying to banish the fog over his brain. He stumbled dazedly into the bathroom, stripping, then stepping in the shower. The hot water cascaded over his body, slowly bringing him back from the realm of sleep. He wandered into his room, a towel on his waist, and changed into his PE instructor uniform. He ate a breakfast of toast, eggs, and sausage. A traditional morning in the life of Kurogane. He left his house, making sure to lock the door, and walked along the sidewalk. He shivered a little in the cold morning light, cars were passing along the road, the only noise in the breaking dawn. He reached the gates of Horitsuba High, and suddenly felt a chill that had nothing to do with the morning air. He shuddered, something was off. He proceeded carefully through the gates, looking around warily. Nothing. The sense of foreboding however, was definitely there. Where was it coming from?

"Kuro-taaaaaaaan!!!" Oh. Right. Kurogane let out an "oof" as a body leaped onto his back, wrapping slim arms around his neck. Kurogane instinctively grabbed the thighs that wrapped around his waist, stumbling to find his balance.

"Get off of me you fat blond!" Kurogane growled, lurching forward as Fai began beating his fists on Kurogane's back.

"Waaah! I'm not fat Kuro-myu!" Kurogane sighed.

"What do you want?" Arms tightened back around Kurogane's neck.

"Aw, Kuro-pi is so mean! I just wanted to see you!" Kurogane grunted irritably and started walking. The Chemistry teacher was wrapped around him like a limpet, or some form of blond spider monkey. Any attempt to dislodge him would probably be a waste of Kurogane's limited energy.

"Wai! I get a ride! Hyuuu! Kuro-chi is so strong! Hyuu-hyuuu!" Kurogane turned his head, an incredulous look on his face.

"Hyu?"

"I can't whistle Kuro-pon!"

"My name is Kurogane!!"

"Hyuu!" They had reached Kurogane's office, and Kurogane swiftly let go of Fai's thighs.

"Hwah!" Thud. "That wasn't very nice Kuro-puu!" Fai whined from the floor as he rubbed his behind. Kurogane grunted, turning toward his door, when he suddenly froze. Fai looked up curiously from the floor.

"What's wrong Kuro-mi?"

"Teme..." a dark aura began swirling around Kurogane, and Fai looked up quizzically, then after a moment, he brightened.

"Oh! That! You found it!" Kurogane rounded swiftly on Fai, face contorted in fury.

"YOU DID THIS YOU DAMN SCIENTIST!?!?" Kurogane roared, pointing angrily to his office door. A sign had been nailed to his office, and it read in curly black letters: "Office of Kuro-wanko- sensei. BEWARE OF BIG BLACK PUPPY." There was also a crude painting of a black dog with red eyes and a whistle.

"Isn't it cute Kuro-sensei?"

"IT IS NOT!!" Kurogane bellowed, reaching out to grab Fai. Fai dodged nimbly, darting around Kurogane and prancing down the hallway.

"Waai!" Fai yelled, as Kurogane went chasing after him. Other teachers sighed in their rooms. Fai had been here for two weeks already, and a sort of routine had already been established, that always concluded in Kurogane chasing Fai around the school.

At that very same moment, Two boys were walking down the hall dressed in the red seifuku of Horitsuba. One was taller, with short dark hair and deep gold eyes that were staring in a deadpan look. He had a finger in his ear closest to the boy he was walking with. The other boy also had short black hair, and had glasses framing his eyes. One of his eyes was a bright gold, the other a stunning blue. He was shouting at the other boy, waving his fists wildly in the air, then he stopped and looked dazedly at the path in front of him. The taller boy acted quickly seizing the boy with glasses and pulling him out of the way, shoving him against the wall. Just then, Fai sped by, followed closely by a still shouting Kurogane. Fai turned around waving.

"Gomen ne Watanuki-kun and Doumeki-kun!" Fai yelled before darting around the corner. Kurogane's shoes squeaked on the tile floor as he changed direction, turning the same corner. Doumeki watched them go, his arms still on either side of Watanuki, pinning him to the wall. Watanuki began to shift uncomfortably, a light pink tinge dusting his cheeks.

"Hey Doumeki? Um... Can I move now?" Doumeki turned his head back towards Watanuki. He slowly drew back his arms beginning to walk again.

"Ah." he said, continuing down the hall. Watanuki blinked before running after him, flailing wildly!

"Hey!! Wait up you big oaf!" Across the school, the same line was being said, albeit with a little more force and a slight change in subject.

"HEY! WAIT UP YOU BLUE-EYED FREAK!!!" this variation was, naturally, coming from Kurogane, still chasing madly after Fai.

"Kurogane-sensei!!!!!" Kurogane stopped immediately. It was THAT voice. Fai also stopped running, looking around to see who spoke.

"What did I tell you about abusing Fai-sensei, Kurogane-sensei?" Yuuko said severely, hands on her hips. Though she was the school principal, she never managed to look like one. Her skirt was just a TAD too short, showing off her long pale legs, and her significant bosoms were popping out of her button up blouse, that she had no intention of re-buttoning. Her fake red glasses from the 100-yen store (bought by Watanuki, incidentally) hardly served to make her more professional looking, and instead made her look more wily and seductive. She was a known sake-addict, (though she liked to call herself a sake connoisseur) and Fai had already witnessed many times the extent of that addiction. Watanuki would get called out in the middle of class, sighing, so that he could run to the nearest store to replenish her sake-supply, and always came back rubbing his temples. Fai smiled at Yuuko.

"Ohayo Yuuko-san!" Yuuko smiled back at Fai.

"Ohayo, Fai-sensei, is Kuro-sensei being mean to you again?" Kurogane growled.

"Kuro-chi is such a beast Yuuko-san!" Fai yelled dramatically, crocodile tears beginning to form. Yuuko rounded on Kurogane.

"Really, Kurogane-sensei, you cant continue to be so _rowdy_ with Fai-sensei!" She placed an implying tone on the word "roudy". Kurogane twitched, then pointed his finger accusingly at Fai.

"This IDIOT nailed a stupid sign to my office door!!!" Kurogane bellowed. Yuuko narrowed her eyes dangerously. Kurogane recoiled.

"Kurogane-sensei, you will go back to your classroom this instant and stop abusing poor, innocent Fai-sensei!"

"Wha-" Kurogane stuttered.

"NOW Kurogane-sensei." Kurogane stood there, glaring at Yuuko, who matched his stare. Then Kurogane turned on his heel and pounded fiercely down the halls, windows shaking as he went.

"Like a petulant child." Yuuko sighed, Fai chuckled.

"Fai-sensei!!!" a sweet voice rang, Fai turned.

"Ah, Sakura-chan!" A cute girl ran up to Fai, she had ear-length blond-brown hair, and large sparkling green eyes. She was thin and light, with a bright, happy demeanor.

"Ohayo Fai-sensei!!" Sakura rang. She glanced around Fai, noticing Yuuko for the first time. She gave a slight "ah!" raising her hand to her mouth and looking slightly embarrassed. She bowed low.

"Ohayogozaimasu, Yuuko-sensei."

"Ohayo Sakura-kun." Yuuko smiled, then turning to Fai, she said,

"Well, I'm going to my office now, Watanuki just delivered some WONDERFUL sake that I must try. Please be careful of big black puppies!" Fai nodded and smiled, while Yuuko strode off. Sakura looked up nervously.

"Did I interrupt something Fai-sensei?"

"Not at all Sakura-chan!" Sakura smiled.

"Thats good, what did Yuuko-sensei mean by that?"

"By what?" Sakura placed her finger on her chin.

"Beware of big black puppies?" Fai's face broke into a wide grin, and he folded his hands behind his back.

"Ah! Well thats not any important matter, I just have a certain Kurogane-puppy after my head!" Sakura blinked. Fai leaned forward, coming a little closer to Sakura's height, and spoke kindly,

"That matter aside, how is Syaoran-kun?" Sakura visibly brightened, she smiled a cute, bright, smile, and her green eyes sparkled.

"Syaoran-kun? He is fine! He isn't here yet though." Fai stood up straight, still smiling kindly.

"Sou ka! I'm happy for you Sakura-chan!"

"What do you mean, Fai-sensei?"

"Hmmm... I guess you two just seem so happy together! I heard that you two were childhood friends, before he went to Hong Kong." Sakura nodded.

"Yes, but I don't remember anything of that time, I had no idea who he even was until he talked to me after the welcoming ceremony. I have so many memories that were lost, seeing him again, makes me think that I can find them, as long as he is by my side." She looked down at the floor, blushing. It was silent for a moment, before a bell began to ring through the halls. Sakura started, face changing to surprise.

"Oh no! Class is starting! I have to go, Fai-sensei!" Sakura turned and started jogging down the hall. Fai watched her go, waving his hand as she disappeared. He stood still for a moment, staring at the empty hall.

"That girl has it rough." A voice sounded from behind Fai, who turned to see Kurogane there, hands in his pockets. Fai smiled and jumped at Kurogane.

"Ah! Its Kuro-wanko!" Kurogane dodged to the side, causing Fai to fall past him.

"Oh shut up." Fai laughed. Kurogane sighed. He looked down the hall where Sakura had left, and Fai glanced at Kurogane quizzically.

"I never met her before the accident, so I don't know what she was like before, but somehow, since that kid has been here, she has started to become the person she is supposed to be, even though she still doesn't have her memories back." Fai's body was slightly turned away from Kurogane's, and what Kurogane could see of Fai's face was hidden by his hair.

"I think... not having any memories would be a good thing...." Kurogane stared silently at Fai. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could even get a syllable out, Fai turned, with a crazy wide smile on his face.

"Well Kuro-chi! We better get back to class before homeroom is over!" Fai grabbed Kurogane's wrist, proceeding to drag Kurogane down the hall.

"O-oi! Let go you dumb blond!" Fai ignored Kurogane, continuing down the hall with Kurogane in tow. Kurogane had progressed from insults to shouting death threats as they neared his office, Fai still holding his wrist in a vice grip. Kurogane glanced up ahead of Fai, and to his surprise, saw someone standing by his office door. It was Syaoran. Fai smiled and waved brightly at Syaoran, who waved back courteously. Fai ran up to Syaoran, hand still clamped around Kurogane's wrist, Kurogane being forced to stumble along behind.

"Ohayo Syaoran-kun!" Syaoran smiled at Fai and bowed politely.

"Ohayogozaimasu, Fai-sensei." Fai released his hold on Kurogane, who started rubbing his wrist scowling. Fai folded his hands behind his head.

"Since you are waiting here in front of Kuro-wanwan's office, I assume you have business with our puppy-sensei?"

"Teme... you better shut your mouth." Fai laughed merrily at Kurogane. Syaoran gave a slight smile. Kurogane grunted.

"So? Whats up kid?" Syaoran straightened up and turned to face Kurogane.

"Hai, actually, I have a favor to ask." Kurogane's eyes narrowed.

"What is it?" Syaoran bowed deeply and held his position.

"I would like you to teach me how to use a sword."

"So you want to learn kendo?"

"Hai." Kurogane leaned back against the wall.

"Doushite?" Syaoran straightened up.

"I want to become stronger."

"For who?" Syaoran looked confused for a moment.

"For myself, and for the person I care about." Kurogane stared at Syaoran's face, studying his expression. Fai, who had been silent until now, leaped up and latched onto Kurogane's arm.

"Waah! You can use a sword Kuro-rin? Hyuuuuu! Thats amazing!" Kurogane jerked his arm roughly, but Fai persisted, hanging on tightly.

"Arg, let go, baka!"

"Ne, ne Kuro-pon, can you do anything else?" Kurogane was frenziedly shaking his arm, trying to dislodge the persistent science teacher, when Syaoran spoke up.

"Kurogane-sensei has received national awards in kendo, judo and karate, right, sensei?" Kurogane stopped flailing, looking a bit surprised.

"Ah, thats right." Fai let go of Kurogane's arm and instead flung his arms around Kurogane's neck.

"Waah! Sugoi! Kuro-sama is so strong! Hyu Hyuu!"

"Ack! Let go! And stop saying HYU!!" Fai just laughed, and Syaoran just watched, confused. Kurogane made a move to grab Fai's head, obviously intending to fling him in a random direction, but Fai swiftly let go, dodging smoothly behind Syaoran.

"Ne, Kuro-pi, you should probably give Syaoran-kun an answer, no?" Kurogane blinked, he looked at Syaoran again, who stood straight. Kurogane sighed.

"All right, kid, I'll teach you." Syaoran smiled and bowed low.

"Thank you so much!" Kurogane smirked.

"Just be prepared for hell, kid."

"Hai!" Fai patted Syaoran's head.

"All right now, Syaoran-kun, you better get to class, Sakura-chan will worry about you!" Syaoran smiled at Fai.

"I will! Thank you again Kurogane-sensei!" With that, Syaoran dashed off. Fai turned towards Kurogane, hands folded behind his head.

"Aw, who knew Kuro-sama was such a nice person!"

"Shut up." Fai laughed.

"I didn't expect you to say yes so easily, Kuro-bun, what made you agree?"

"Who knows? There was something in his eyes that made me think he could do it."

"Heeeh... Kuro-run is also very observant!"

"Damn it! I've told you! My name is Kurogane!"

~END~

Please please please reveiw!!!!!! 3 clicky that button!!! ^_^


	3. February: Chocolate

~Hello!!! Third chapter YAAAY!!! i am soooooooooo sorry it took sooooo long to post!!! T_T gomenasai... i tried really hard, i just had some serious writer's block, but its all better now!!! expect the next chapter within the next one-two weeks and a special omake (extra) inbetween them! ^_^ **THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH TO THOSE WHO READ, AND SPECIAL THANK-YOU'S TO THOSE WHO REVIEWED AND FAVORITED!!!! YOU ARE AMAZING!!! ENJOY THE CHAPTER!! :)**

**Anime/Manga: **Tsubasa reservoir chronicles, based on CLAMP's omake: Horitsuba  
**Couples:** KURO-FAI, hints of Syao-Saku and Dou-Wata ^///^  
**Rating: **T (mostly for later chapters)  
**Warnings: **YAOI! (boy on boy love) no like, turn back now! you have been warned. Swearing, and violence in later chapters  
**Disclaimer:** I love CLAMP, but i do not channel their genius, all characters belong to CLAMP. Story is for fan-purposes only. Thank you!

A note on Japanese Culture:

in japan on valentine's day, girls will give chocolates to guys. most of the time, its cause they are in love with them ;) however, many girls will give out, translated in english, "courtesy chocolate" which is chocolate given to good friends, just to be polite, and so they will get something back on White Day, which i will explain in a minute. if you reaaaallly like someone and you are giving them chocolate, the way to say "i love you" stronger than anything else, is to have HOMEMADE chocolate. other than that, girls buy it in stores.

White Day is a holiday on March 14th, which the guys who received chocolate give back to the girls. traditionally, the gift has to be of twice as much value as what was given on valentines, if it is late, three times the value.

~there is virtually NO japanese words in this chapter! OMG! it was pointed out to me that it would be better if i didn't have so many japanese words. thank you for telling me this. but please understand that, as a japanese speaker, i will not be able to completely rid this story of all japanese words. it is especially hard when you are trying to write something based on a JAPANESE manga, and when you are writing character speech, they are speaking japanese in your head! i tried to leave out alot of words, but some just wont come out, please understand that *bows* . it is pretty much useless to try to have kuro-pon's nicknames be english so thats not gonna happen lol. i am definitely going to keep certain honorifics such as "san" "kun" "chan" and "sensei". certain words that Kuro-tan uses often such as "oi" which is just "hey" i will keep, and "waai!!" which is just the japanese "YAY!" and other fai-istic words, cause they just define his character :) Thank you!!! okay you can read the story now... on your mark.... get set....... **GO!!**

**Chapter 3- February: Chocolate**

Hearts. Hearts EVERYWHERE. Pink hearts, red hearts, white hearts, hearts with little messages in them, and even hearts with hearts in them. They were accompanied by streamers, and occasionally a little cupid floating around. Kurogane stood frozen at the door of the school, eyebrow twitching madly.

"Oh shit.... It's THAT day." Kurogane mumbled. He glanced around quickly. All clear. He stole quickly down the hall, peering around the corner, red eyes searching for any sign of movement. Then he heard that ominous sound. Giggling. The sound grew gradually closer. By the sound, Kurogane estimated there were about five or six of them. Kurogane searched frantically for an escape route. To his right there was a door. He ran for it. Opening the door and dashing inside, he shut the door quickly. He stood to the side and peered through the crack in the blinds. The giggling and footsteps came ever closer, right in front of the door, then faded as they passed. Kurogane exhaled in a relieved sigh.

"What are you doing, Kuro-sama?" Kurogane whipped around. Fai was standing there, staring straight at Kurogane with a bemused look on his face.

"Nothing." Kurogane stated roughly. "What are you doing here?" Fai blinked slowly.

"This is my classroom, Kuro-run."

"Ah..." Kurogane looked around. Test tubes, scales, microscopes, tables, and sinks. A poster of the Periodic Table of Elements was on the wall and complicated formulas were written on the chalkboard. Definitely the Chemistry room. Fai laughed.

"Kuro-myuu is so spacey!"

"Oh shut up." Kurogane growled.

"Haha, oh well, its better this way, now I don't have to come find you!" Kurogane looked over at Fai.

"Hah?" Fai skipped over to his desk smiling. He reached into his desk drawer, slippping something behind his back. Then he pranced over to Kurogane, hands still behind his back. He leaned close to Kurogane, and whipped the object out, shoving it in front of Kurogane's face.

"Happy Valentine's Day Kuro-pi!" A box sat in Fai's hands wrapped in white paper and tied with a red with a deep red ribbon. Kurogane stared incredulously at the package, before giving a small sneer.

"What are you, a girl?" Kurogane blurted. Fai's eyes widened, but he was still smiling.

"Heh?"

"I'm not taking chocolates from you." Kurogane turned on his heel and left the room, leaving Fai standing there, smiling. But he didn't miss the glimmer of hurt in those bright blue eyes. As the door closed behind Kurogane, he hesitated, rubbing his temples.

"Its his own damn fault. What kind of guy gives out chocolates on Valentine's Day?" Kurogane determined. He put his hands in his pockets and finally began to wander down the hall. Fai's eyes were still in Kurogane's mind. Fai was still smiling when Kurogane slammed the door, but in those azure eyes, Kurogane saw an inexpressible pain. A pain that went far deeper than Kurogane refusing his chocolates. Kurogane reached his office, and his eyes were drawn to the large hole in his door, where Kurogane had madly torn out Fai's sign, taking a large portion of the door with it. Kurogane sighed. Traces of Fai's presence had already been scattered around the school, both physically, and even, dare we say it, emotionally. Fai was so deeply ingrained into Horitsuba High, that Kurogane could hardly remember it without him. Kurogane shook his head madly.

"Whatever, I have to reason to feel guilty." He walked into his office, and was suddenly stuck by a wave of pink. He blinked a few times, trying to adjust his eyes to the obtrusive color.

"Ah.." He knew it. Chocolates. Piles of boxes and bags decorated in pink and red, containing pounds of dark, sickly sweet chocolate. Kurogane slumped against his door, grabbing his forehead.

"White Day is going to be _really_ expensive this year." Kurogane groaned. Once again, an image of Fai popped unwillingly into his head. Those bright blue eyes widening in shock, the arms holding the chocolate faltering, though the smile did not. That smile, that ever-present smile, put up like a glass wall, so fragile, so transparent, convincing everyone, but not Kurogane. Only Kurogane saw the shimmer of light reflected off the glass, and he was dying to shatter it. To shatter that glass and see what lay beyond it. He knew it was only a farce, set up to hide behind, but hurt had definitely shone in those eyes, shining past the glass barrier. Kurogane had caused that shimmer. Guilt once again came and smacked him in the face.

"Damn it." Kurogane grumbled. He shook his head roughly, stumbling to his desk and falling into his chair. He stared blankly at the pile of chocolate in front of him, obscured in a fog of thoughts. As the bell rang for class to start, Kurogane had come to a reluctant decision.

"Fine. I'll apologize to the idiot later." He stood up and wandered outside, where his first class was waiting. This was the boy class, so he felt relatively safe. He spied Watanuki and Doumeki sitting among the boys. Watanuki had his arms around his legs, pouting, cheeks puffed out, clearly ticked off. Doumeki had a little smirk on his face, but whenever Watanuki turned to glare at him, Doumeki wiped it off quickly. Kurogane noticed a little bit of chocolate on Doumeki's face. Kurogane barked out a few orders and watched his students comply. They wandered onto the field and began to play soccer. He watched them play fixedly, but his mind was lost in his own rambling thoughts. He thought about the massive pile of chocolates in his office. He thought about Fai's chocolates. He thought about the horde of excited girls bound to track him down. He thought about Fai's excited face as he bounded up to him, hiding the chocolates behind his back. He thought about Watanuki's irritated expression, wondering what caused it. He thought about Fai's hurt eyes, knowing exactly what caused it. He thought about how much money he was going to have to dump on White Day. He thought about what he was going to get Fai for White Day. Thats when he noticed the black and white object flying towards him. His instincts took over- his arm shot up, and his hand balled into a fist, and he punched the soccer ball, sending it flying back toward the field. Doumeki caught it, and the rest of the boys stared, wide-eyed.

"Oi! Watch where you are kicking that ball!" Kurogane barked. "Now keep playing!" The game continued, and Kurogane shook his head roughly, trying his hardest to pay attention. The game went on, with Watanuki and Doumeki doing their usual rivalry thing. Watanuki flailing and shouting whenever Doumeki scored, yelling about cheating and luck, which Doumeki coolly deflected. The boys class was dismissed, and Kurogane heard the rumbling of rabid girls coming. Kurogane swiftly decided to skip teaching the next two classes, and he stole quickly into the school. He saw Sakura, who giggled and ran out to meet the pursuing girls, ushering them off in another direction, away from Kurogane. Kurogane nodded a thank-you and stumbled wearily into his office. He collapsed into his chair, resisting the urge to bang his head violently on his desk.

"I hate Valentine's Day." He sat with his eyes closed, reveling in the blessed silence. Suddenly, Kurogane felt a vibration under his feet. It grew, and soon progressed into a definite rumbling. Thats when he heard the shrill sound of squealing. His heart jumped and adrenalin rushed through his veins. Then he noticed something was off. They weren't after him.

"Aw shit." He dashed across the room and threw open his office door, searching the hall ahead. It was empty. Suddenly Fai dashed around the corner, followed by an explosion of chocolate-bearing, squealing girls. Kurogane had an instinctive urge to run, but saving Fai came first. Kurogane stood at the ready, waiting for the right moment. As soon as Fai came level with Kurogane, Kurogane reached out and grabbed Fai's arm, jerking him into the office.

"Wah!" Fai exclaimed, looking up at his savior. His eyes widened.

"Kuro-sama!" Kurogane placed a hand over Fai's mouth.

"Shh, we aren't out of this yet." He dragged Fai across the room, throwing open a closet. He tossed Fai inside, following and shutting the door. He twisted an inside handle, and they were engulfed in darkness. Fai's breath hitched. The closet they were in was small, hardly equipped for two people. They stood close together, positioned sideways, facing each other. Fai was pressed up against Kurogane, head on his chest. Fai was suddenly glad for the darkness, his face was heating up in a mad blush.

"N-ne, Kuro-sama..." Fai stuttered.

"Quiet." Kurogane whispered sharply. Fai shut his mouth. He heard the office door open, and some people stepped into the room.

"Huh? I could of sworn he went in here."

"Me too, but there is no one here."

"Awwww... Kurogane-sensei isn't here either."

"Wait, maybe he hid in the closet!" Footsteps drew closer to the closet. The closet doors rattled and shook, but did not open.

"Aw darn, its locked."

"Search the rest of the room." The footsteps dispersed throughout the room, and doors and cabinets opened. Fai relaxed a little, the girls could not get them in here. However, the heat on Fai's face was spreading by the minute. Fai could hear Kurogane's heartbeat echoing thorough the muscular chest. Their stomachs were flush, and Kurogane's hands were gripping Fai's arms. Fai closed his eyes, trying to slow his racing heartbeat. Being squished together in the closet was far from comfortable, but Fai felt a security that he hadn't felt in a long, long, time. He felt safe, with his head resting on Kurogane, and with those strong hands holding his arms. He relaxed into Kurogane's chest, slowing his heartbeat to match Kurogane's. Suddenly he felt the weight of the box in his pocket, and he tensed. Kurogane felt this, and glanced down at Fai, only able to see a vague silhouette. Then a girl's voice sounded from outside.

"I guess they really aren't here, lets go look somewhere else." There were murmurs of assent, and shuffling footsteps. The door opened and closed, and the footsteps died down. Kurogane, ever cautious, did not emerge, listening carefully for stragglers.

"I... can't..." Fai murmured. Kurogane glanced down again.

"No..." Fai whispered in a strained voice. Kurogane spoke up.

"Oi." He said. Fai jumped. There was a second of silence, then Fai took a shuddering breath.

"Are they gone, Kuro-pi?" Fai's voice was bright and happy, and Kurogane was taken aback.

"Yeah... I think so." Kurogane said. He grasped the inside handle and opened the door. Fai leaped out quickly, turning around so his back was facing Kurogane. Kurogane stepped out, watching Fai carefully.

"Oi-"

"Kuro-run has a closet you lock from the inside? You are sneaky, Kuro-pu!" Fai laughed merrily.

"Tch, be grateful I saved your sorry ass." Kurogane retorted. Fai laughed again. Silence fell. Kurogane took a breath.

"Oi."

"What?"

"Look at me." Kurogane demanded. He sensed Fai's hesitation. Finally, Fai turned around, beaming.

"What is it, Kuro-wanwan?"

"I'm sorry."

"Huh?" Kurogane folded his arms, forehead creasing.

"I'm sorry- You know, for refusing your chocolates, its my bad, sorry." Fai's eyes widened, and he stared at Kurogane incredulously.

"Kuro-sama?" Kurogane huffed.

"Don't make me say it again, idiot. Just give me the damn chocolate." Fai's eyes slowly lit up. Kurogane then saw what he perceived to be a true smile, as a crack appeared in the glass, and Fai's smile shone through. Kurogane's heart fluttered at the small glimpse beyond the barrier. Fai whipped the box out of his pocket and danced over, presenting the box to Kurogane. Kurogane took it and opened it carefully, peering inside. There were about a dozen perfectly round dark chocolates, probably truffles, decorated with red swirls of cherry topping.

"Try one, Kuro-sama! Fai lilted. Kurogane studied the chocolates warily.

"Did you... make these?"

"Yup! Try one!"

"I said I'd take them, I never said I'd eat them!" Kurogane turned away pouting. Fai just smiled, but a devious glimmer shone in his eyes.

"Ne, Kuro-chi!" Kurogane turned his head towards Fai irritably.

"Wha- Mmph!"

"Waai!! Kuro-wanko ate my chocolate!" Fai sang. Kurogane swallowed the offending truffle in his mouth, glaring daggers at Fai.

"You stuffed it in my mouth you da-" Once again, Kurogane was silenced by Fai shoving a chocolate deftly between Kurogane's teeth. Kurogane dropped the box of chocolates on the floor and took off after Fai, who had backed out of the door, skipping down the hall.

"Get back here, you damn blond!"

"Waah! Kuro-wanwan is mad at me!"

~**END**~

**please please please review!! i love people who review! and as a side note, in your review, please feel free to point out any mistakes or incongruities that you see. It makes me a better writer!!! Also, if you would like to know more about some part of japanese culture (or words) that i mentioned or are just curious about, please ask! i would be happy to answer you! :) now clicky the review button!!**


	4. Omake 1: Chocolate Donuts

HI people!!! Welcome to my latest installment! This is my first **omake** of this series! For those of you who don't know, and omake is an extra, just a fun little chapter not really having much to do with the real plot. I will periodically have these inbetween chapters. :) This is a DoumekixWatanuki omake, taking place on valentines! Short and sweet, have fun with it!

**Anime/Manga: **XXXholic, based on CLAMP's omake: Horitsuba  
**Couples:** In this particular extra, DoumekixWatanuki ^///^  
**Rating: **PG  
**Warnings: **YAOI! (boy on boy love) no like, turn back now!  
**Disclaimer:** I love CLAMP, but i do not channel their genius, all characters belong to CLAMP. Story is for fan-purposes only. Thank you!

And.... READ!

**Omake 1- Chocolate Donuts**

Watanuki was spinning, leaping and jumping wildly down the street. He stopped for a moment and performed a pirouette, the air around him scintillating such that you could almost see the sparkles bouncing off him. He was lost in his own little world of rainbows and flowers.

"Oi." That was all it took. Watanuki crashed to the ground, the sparkles around him dissipating. Watanuki leaped up, turning to face Doumeki, his fist in the air.

"My name is not "OI"!! and how dare you start talking while I'm in my happy place!? You stupid oaf!" He yelled.

"You looked like an idiot spinning around like that, I figured I might as well know the reason why." Doumeki stated blandly. Watanuki flailed madly.

"You look like more of an idiot than I do! Besides, today is Valentine's, and I have chocolate to give to Himawari-chan! So stop ruining it!"

"Don't GIRLS usually give out chocolates on Valentine's Day?"

"Oh shut up! Yuuko-san woke me up at 4:00 am to make this, so I made extra for Himawari-chan! You don't need any, you'll have TONS of chocolate by the end of today... honestly, I don't know what girls see in you!" Watanuki huffed, and walked, or rather stomped, down the street ahead of Doumeki. Doumeki followed silently, a small smirk on his face. They reached the gates of Horitsuba High, and Watanuki leaped through.

"Himawari-chan!!" He sang.

"Ah, Watanuki-kun!" Watanuki spun around excitedly. Sakura was standing there, and Watanuki wilted slightly.

"Ah, Ohayo, Sakura-chan."

"What's wrong, Watanuki-kun?" Sakura asked. Watanuki waved his hand in front of his face.

"Oh nothing, Sakura-chan, I was looking for Himawari-chan, and I thought you were her." Watanuki said. Then he jumped. "No- not that I'm not happy to see you Sakura-chan! I'm very happy to see you! Its just.... I... well...!" Watanuki flailed wildly. Sakura giggled.

"Himawari-san? She told me she wasn't coming to school today, she suddenly got sick." Watanuki froze.

"Hah?"

"Yeah, she told me to tell you, 'sorry, and I'll see you when I get better' if I saw you today." Watanuki slumped over, then collapsed onto his knees.

"Himawari-chan... isn't here..." Watanuki sobbed. Sakura nodded.

"Yeah. Well, I need to go find Syaoran-kun, See you later, Watanuki-kun, Doumeki-kun!" Sakura chimed, prancing off. Watanuki had almost forgotten Doumeki was there.

"You didn't know?" Doumeki said bluntly. Watanuki leaped up flailing.

"Obviously! Why did you know and I didn't!? And why didn't you tell me she wasn't here?!?!" Watanuki wailed.

"Cause it was much more fun to watch you make a fool of yourself." Doumeki shrugged.

"Why...you..." Watanuki grumbled, before stomping off. Doumeki smirked again and followed Watanuki to the locker room. Watanuki sat down on the bench and flung his shoes off, grumbling. He glared over at Doumeki, who was coolly opening his locker. Pink and red boxes and bags tumbled out, and Doumeki stared at them blankly. Watanuki snapped.

"GAAH! I CAN'T STAND IT!! YOU ALREADY HAVE THIS MUCH CHOCOLATE!? HOW THE HELL ARE YOU SO POPULAR!?!" Watanuki screamed. Doumeki plugged his ears calmly.

"What, are you jealous?"

"WHY WOULD I BE JEALOUS?!"

"You know, you could just _give _me your chocolate." There was a moment of silence, then Watanuki stood up and began thrashing wildly, a slight blush on his cheeks.

"Wha- WHY WOULD I DO THAT YOU CONCEITED FREAK?! You already got chocolate, and you are going to get tons more anyway!" Doumeki took a step towards Watanuki.

"Because I don't care about _their_ chocolate."

"Wha-?" Doumeki stepped closer, and Watanuki backed away, until he collided with the lockers. Doumeki raised his arm, and placed his hand on the side of Watanuki's head, drawing in closer.

"I want _your _chocolate." Watanuki's blush spread like fire, and Doumeki enjoyed an inward smirk.

"Wha- but-" Watanuki stuttered. His heart was thumping loudly in his chest.

'_No! What does he mean?! Why is he so close?! What is he thinking?!' _Watanuki thought. Doumeki moved in closer, and Watanuki clenched his eyes shut.

"OH WA-TA-NU-KI!!!!" A voice cried. Watanuki jumped about ten feet into the air, and Doumeki turned. Yuuko came dancing around the corner, singing Watanuki's name.

"Watanuki! There you are! I was- Oh! My, my, am I interrupting something?" Yuuko grinned, staring at the boys with a devilish glint in her eyes. Watanuki almost died of a heart attack.

"No- NO! NOTHING!! _NOTHING_ Yuuko-san!!" Yuuko's eyes danced.

"Oh really? Well then, I'll leave you to your "nothing", Watanuki. Happy Valentine's Day, you two!" Then she stalked off. Watanuki collapsed on the ground, steam rising off of his face. Doumeki stepped back and turned around, grabbing Watanuki's bag. He fished through it and pulled out a little white bag. Watanuki looked up.

"Hey! What do you think you are doing?!" Watanuki yelled. Doumeki flipped open the bag and pulled out a little heart-shaped chocolate. Without further ado, he popped it into his mouth and began chewing.

"AH!! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!?! YOU STUPID IDIOT! SPIT IT OUT RIGHT NOW!!" Watanuki's stood up and leaped on Doumeki's back, reaching for the white bag. Doumeki held it out away from Watanuki, his trademark deadpan look on his face as he chewed the piece of chocolate.

"ARG! GIVE IT BACK!!!!"

**~END~ **

**Thank you very much for reading! i thought it was rather cute :3 but tell me what you think! click the review button!! I'm afraid i didn't edit this one as thoroughly as i should have, so feel free to point out mistakes! i shall have the fourth chapter up soon!! Thank you!  
**


	5. February: Tomoyo

~ACK!! I HATE HATE HATE THIS CHAPTER! . it has tortured me sooooo much! writers block, after writers block, and NO time to write it between school, work and Homework!! RAWR! oh, and i thought i would have time over Christmas break.... oh no. this was the BUSIEST christmas i have EVER had! AAAAAH!! *pant pant* okay im done... *sigh* sorry... I do not like the way this chapter turned out, but i hope you will enjoy it. Thank you so much to all the people who have read my story! (and hopefully enjoyed it) and a SPECIAL thank you and LOTS of hugs to those of you who reviewed and faveorited!!!! It's people like you who keep me writing and maintain my sanity. :) So, i apologize for the wait, i hope none of you died holding your breath... but the upside, this chapter is twice as long as my other chapters! yay! Read on, people!

**WAIT WAIT WAIT! BEFORE YOU READ THE STORY PLEASE READ THE NOTICE BELOW!!!!**

* * *

Okay, so I received a review that, well, "accused" is a strong word, but that is what it was, of me copying another fic. I am not really offended, but I am a little hurt, and I would like to clear up some misunderstandings. First of all, I did NOT copy this fic. I have read "Secrets and Smiles" by Shunatsu. I REALLY love this fic, if you have not read it, please do, it is absolutely wonderful. It is another Kuro-fai Horitsuba fic, and is very good. (I mean its got Subaru, Kamui and other X characters and the mafia! Its awesome!) My fic is DIFFERENT from Shunatsu-san's. I will admit to there being similarities. Fai nailed a sign to Kurogane's door in this fic as well. However they said DIFFERENT things. I did NOT copy this idea, it is purely coincidental that it happened in both our stories. Another event that is in Shunatsu-san's fic as well as mine, is that Fai mixes a concoction and blows up the chemistry lab. I did NOT take this idea either. We both came up with the same idea, as unbelievable as it sounds.... heaven forbid. What else is an angsty-maniacal Fai going to do with a bunch of dangerous chemicals? This story has gone through a lot of planning and outlining, and I read "secrets and smiles" after I had already started my story. I suppose you can think whatever you want and say I am lying, but that is your deal. Another "similarity" is that Kurogane and Fai have the same teaching positions, in the same school. I don't wish to be rude, but DUH! Its a HORITSUBA fanfic. I did NOT come up with the school idea, Shunatsu-san did NOT come up with the school idea or positions. CLAMP DID. Both of these stories are based off of CLAMP's omake (extra) that they published detailing the life of the same characters in a real-life situation, combining XXXholic and Tsubasa characters. HORI (holic) TSUBA (tsubasa). This school-setting (including the teacher positions) idea is all CLAMP'S! Read the omake to really understand what is going on. And of COURSE Fai is going to have a traumatic past, thats his character!! And his traumatic past in my fic will have NOTHING to do with the mafia! Also the comment was made that I should "check into the story so that way you wont have the stories too closely related" Why in the world would I change MY idea just because it is SIMILAR to someone ELSE'S idea? This is ridiculous. If Shunatsu-san has a problem with it, then i'll probably just say "um sorry, I didn't copy you, I don't think i should have to remove my story, sorry." I don't want to be mean, but seriously, this situation is like two users on youtube making an AMV of Naruto using the same song -_-. (how many versions of "headstrong" are there?) I hope I didn't come off as rude, I really just wanted to clear up a misunderstanding. I did NOT copy Shunatsu-san, she did NOT copy me. Thank you SO much for actually reading my big long spiel. Please stick with me, and enjoy my fic as it unfolds! THANK YOU!

* * *

**DID YOU READ IT??? YOU BETTER HAVE! YOU DID? GOOD JOB! THANK YOU!**

**Anime/Manga: **Tsubasa reservoir chronicles, based on CLAMP's omake: Horitsuba  
**Couples:** KURO-FAI, hints of Syao-Saku and Dou-Wata ^///^  
**Rating: **T (mostly for later chapters)  
**Warnings: **YAOI! (boy on boy love) no like, turn back now! you have been warned. Swearing, and violence in later chapters  
**Disclaimer:** I love CLAMP, but i do not channel their genius, all characters belong to CLAMP. Story is for fan-purposes only. Thank you!

**~Glossary~**

(Sorry no Kanji spelling this time, my Japanese IME on my computer is freaking D:)**  
**

**Baka**- "idiot" or "stupid"  
**Hime**- "Princess" it is often added as a suffix to the name, like "-san"  
**Hai**- "yes" generally positive response the way Fai says it: "Hai, hai!" is akin to "yeah, yeah" or "yes, yes" in a teasing way.  
**Ojamashimasu**- phrase used when entering another person's house, "I'm coming in" or literally, "Let me intrude"  
**Ah**- technically it is spelled "Aa" but that just is wierd in English... its a "tough" "manly" and slightly rude way to say "yeah"  
**Ma!**- A girly and fancy way to prerequisite a sentence. Similar to "Well!" or "Wow!"  
**Oi**- "Hey" not exactly the "polite" way to say it :p Kuro-sama never talks very polite  
**Fusuma**- Sliding doors that divide rooms in traditional homes  
**Rouka**- Wooden "hallways" that are outside of the house

**~Notes on Japanese Culture~**

In Japan, cooking is a labor of love! If you want to be super romantic to someone, you cook for them! ever notice in Shoujo manga that girls make guys bento's? (boxed lunches) If you are a girl making a boy a bento, thats almost implicating that you are going out. It is often used as a go-between also if you like someone and you want to tell them. Cooking is a HUGE deal in Japan, if you can cook well, you are very praised. Mothers making bento's for their children will be scrutinized and compared to other Mothers. (really) Also, cooking for someone else in _their_ house is also very implicitave. Normally you just _dont_ do that. Because such implies that you are living together, and if you are living together you _are_ together!  
Fai cooks curry in this chapter, and just so you know, its like a hour and a half process! _If_ you don't culture the spices! I love curry, but it just takes too long to make! and i dont add onions like usual cause im allergic :p  
In this chapter, Kurogane lives in a traditional home, i hope you can understand my descriptions, but if you have any questions please feel free to ask me! :)  
Oh and by the way, I am indeed fluent in Japanese and have _lived_ in Japan, so i _promise_ i know what i am talking about! Please think about that before you scrutinize me :'(

Now.... Read!

**Chapter 4- Tomoyo**

"Higher, Kuro-chi!" Fai yelled. Kurogane grunted, and straightened his back, lifting Fai higher into the air. Fai was standing on Kurogane's left arm, Kurogane's right arm around Fai's knees, keeping him in place. Fai had mixed a concoction earlier that had resulted in an explosive chemical reaction, therefore shooting Fai's test tube straight into the ceiling.

"Why the hell couldn't you just use a ladder or something!?" Kurogane growled. Fai carefully took out the ceiling board, which sported a large hole, and dropped it on the floor. It hit Kurogane's foot, and he cursed.

"I couldn't find one, Kuro-pi!" Fai chimed. "Besides, Kuro-tan is much taller and stronger than a ladder!"

"Tch, Damn mad scientist." Fai wasn't heavy, and it wasn't too difficult lifting him up, there was just one problem. Kurogane's eyes just so happened to be perfectly level with Fai's butt. Kurogane was trying his hardest NOT to look, but that was easier said than done. Kurogane did not need another testament to the perfection of Fai's body. Kurogane sighed.

"Why are you mixing up chemicals like this anyway? Its dangerous idiot! It might have not been just the bottle that exploded!!"

"Awww, is Kuro-sama worried about me?" Fai laughed. Kurogane twitched.

"Hmph. You wish, idiot." Fai slipped a little and Kurogane tensed his muscles, tightening his grip around Fai's knees, stumbling for balance.

"O-oi! Be careful, baka!"

"I've almost got it Kuro-puu! -Hwah!!" Fai slipped again, both of his feet falling off of Kurogane's arm. Kurogane lost his grip and Fai came tumbling through the air. Fai closed his eyes, ready to hit the ground, but impact never came. An arm circled around Fai's back, and another around his knees, stopping his fall. Fai opened his eyes and saw Kurogane, holding Fai bridal style, exhaling exasperatedly. Fai's eyes widened, and he felt heat creeping up his face. Kurogane's red eyes met Fai's, and Fai's breath hitched.

"What did I tell you, stupid!?" Kurogane barked.

"Ah-ah... Hehe... Sorry Kuro-chan!!" Fai smiled goofily.

"Tch." When Kurogane did not put Fai down, Fai shifted nervously.

"Ne- Kuro-"

"Kurogane-san?" a musical voice cut Fai off, and Kurogane turned quickly towards the voice. Then he dropped Fai, sending him crashing to the floor.

"To- Tomoyo-hime?" Fai sat up, rubbing his throbbing head, and glanced towards the door. A beautiful girl stood at the doorway, she had long, flowing purple hair reaching down to her knees. She had a cute, feminine face, and shining amethyst eyes to match her hair. She wore a simple, pale pink skirt with a hip bow, and a white, V-neck, quarter sleeve shirt, and a matching pink ribbon in her hair. Kurogane just stared, wide-eyed and open mouthed at her, before stuttering,

"Tomoyo-hime? Wh-what are you doing here?" Tomoyo smiled sweetly.

"I can't come and see you, Kurogane-san?" Kurogane fidgeted nervously, looking embarrassed. Fai watched carefully, smile plastered on his face.

"Well, I- umm..." Kurogane mumbled. Fai's eyes traveled from Tomoyo, to Kurogane, and back to Tomoyo. A weight dropped in Fai's chest. These two were close, he could feel it. Tomoyo looked over at Fai, who was still sitting on the ground. Fai recoiled a little, unsure. Tomoyo smiled gently.

"I am very sorry, I seem to have interrupted something." Fai blinked, then jumped up off of the floor, striding over to Tomoyo.

"Not at all! Kuro-myu was just helping me retrieve something! Pardon me, I do not believe we have been properly introduced." Fai smiled, speaking lightly. Tomoyo crossed her legs and grabbed the edged of her skirt, dipping into a curtsy.

"Yes, please excuse me, I am Tomoyo Daidouji, Pleased to meet you." Fai bowed and softly took Tomoyo's hand.

"No, the pleasure is all mine, Tomoyo-chan, I am Fai Flourite." Fai said. Tomoyo giggled, her laugh ringing like a silver bell.

"Ma! What a formal and genteel introduction, Fai-san, not at all how Kurogane-san described you!" Tomoyo chimed. Fai stood up straight and glanced over at Kurogane, who had his arms folded tightly and was glaring at the chalkboard pointedly. Fai laughed.

"Oh? So Kuro-rin has been talking about me?"

"Believe me, idiot, it was nothing nice!" Kurogane huffed. Tomoyo laughed.

"Oh, Kurogane-san! It wasn't all so bad! I seem to remember you telling me about some particularly delicious chocolate truffles you received on Valentine's Day!"

"What?! I didn't say they were delicious!" Kurogane retorted sharply. Fai was watching Kurogane with wide eyes, and then a smile started to spread on his face. Kurogane twitched, face heating up slightly. Tomoyo smiled, delicately covering her mouth with her hand. Suddenly the school's bell began to chime, and Tomoyo turned towards Kurogane.

"Well I must take my leave for now, Kurogane-san, I well meet you at the gates after school, so we can walk home together." Tomoyo said.

"Yeah." Kurogane nodded. Tomoyo then turned to Fai.

"Will you come as well, Fai-san?"

"Hmmm?" Fai's head turned.

"Please join us after school, we would love to have you over to Kurogane's house." Tomoyo said sweetly. Kurogane started violently.

"WHAT!?" He yelled. Fai bowed elegantly, ignoring Kurogane.

"I would love to, Tomoyo-chan."

"Then I will see you at the gates after school." Tomoyo giggled daintily. She then turned and walked away, leaving Fai and a dumbstruck Kurogane. Fai turned and smiled at Kurogane

"Tomoyo-_hime_ huh? Thats a cute nickname Kuro-mi."

"Tch. Shut up."

"You two are really close huh?" Fai asked, blue eyes searching Kurogane's face.

"Yeah." Fai's eyes softened.

"You were so nervous it was cute, especially when you first saw her, I've seen you blush before, Kuro-chan."

"Hmph."

"She is very pretty."

"Yeah...." Fai's eyes traveled down, so he was gazing at the tiled floor.

"I knew it." Fai whispered softly. Kurogane turned.

"What?" He asked. Fai raised his head quickly, a bright smile on his face. He skipped over to Kurogane and grabbed his arm.

"Well, Kuro-tan, its time for class! I can't teach very well if there is a puppy in my classroom!"

"I am not a puppy!" Kurogane barked. Fai pulled Kurogane towards the door, pushing him out.

"Hai, hai, go to class Kuro-puu! I'll see you at the gate after school!" Fai rang, and closed the door. Kurogane turned, staring at the door intently. Then he sighed, and walked away. Fai stepped away from the door, listening to the retreating footsteps. He walked backwards, until he collided with his desk. He slumped over, smile sliding off of his face.

"I... knew it.." He whispered again. Then he laughed, choking out a high hollow laugh. It echoed off of the walls of the classroom. Taunting him with the sound of two people, laughing the same laugh. The door handle clicked, and Fai quickly straightened up, bouncing around the classroom, silly smile back on his face. Students filed into the classroom, and when the tardy bell rang, Fai waved a clipboard in the air.

"Time to take roll, everyone!" The day passed by in a foggy blur, the final bell sending a painful jolt through Fai's chest. He walked down the halls, faceless people drifting by, their conversation not reaching his ears. Fai reached the front doors, and he glanced towards the gate. Kurogane and Tomoyo were already there, Kurogane was leaning against the wall, while Tomoyo talked, a cute smile on her delicate face. Tomoyo laughed, and a small, gentle smile appeared on Kurogane's face. Fai's fist clenched against the door frame, and he heard the chink of breaking glass coming from somewhere in his chest. Suddenly, Kurogane's head turned, red irises meeting blue. Fai jumped, then slapped a smile on his face and strode over to them.

"Sorry to make you wait!" Fai lilted.

"Not at all, Fai-san, shall we go?" Tomoyo smiled. Kurogane nodded, and they all started down the sidewalk. Kurogane slowed his pace, until he was level with Fai, and studied Fai's face intently.

"What's up Kuro-chi?" Fai asked. Kurogane's eyes narrowed.

"What was with that face?" He asked.

"What face?"

"That face you were making when you were standing at the door."

"I don't know what you are talking about, Kuro-pon! My face is all smiley, see?" Fai pointed at his face,widening his smile. Kurogane growled.

"Tch. Whatever." He said and looked away. They walked quietly down the street, Tomoyo covering her smile with her hand.

"We are here, Fai-san." Tomoyo said, and Fai turned curiously.

"Hyuuuuu...." A large, traditional Japanese house stood in front of them. It was flocked with a thick wooden gate, and bore a gold plaque showing the name "Youou" in Kanji. A Zen garden lay in front of the house, Bonzai trees, still naked from the cold February weather, shaded a small stone bridge, arching over flowing stream, the stream led into a rock garden pond, and a small waterfall fountain placed at the end of it. Fai could hear the "clunk" of the bamboo fountain, as he stared at the huge house. Wooden rouka surrounded the house, with a thatched, vaulted roof reaching outwards.

"Waaah.... Kuro-tan has a huge house!" Fai sang. Kurogane sighed.

"Are you just gonna stare, or are you going to come in?" He asked. Fai laughed and pranced to the door.

"Ojamashimasu!" Fai chimed.

"Ah" Fai threw his shoes off and pranced inside. Tomoyo bowed politely as she came in, and gracefully removed her shoes.

"Come this way." Kurogane said. He led them through the house, sliding open a fusuma. In side was the typical low table surrounded by tatami mats.

" Sit down." Kurogane insisted. "I'll go get some tea." He left and Fai and Tomoyo knelt across from each other at the table. Fai's insides squirmed and itched, nervous in Tomoyo's presence. He carefully maintained his outer facade, resisting the growing urge to fidget. He smiled brightly at Tomoyo, and after a grueling moment of painful silence, Fai said,

"Thank you for inviting me Tomoyo-chan. I do apologize for intruding on your personal time, I'm sure Kuro-pi would much rather spend his time with you." Against his will, Fai's voice rose in pitch, and he mentally slapped himself. Tomoyo tilted her head slightly.

"Please don't worry about it, Fai-san. I really wanted to meet you. Besides, Kurogane-san wants to be with you much more than you think." Tomoyo said kindly. Fai's eyes widened.

"Heh?" The fusuma slid open, and Kurogane came in bearing three cups of tea in ceramic cups.

"Here." Kurogane set the tea down on the table and knelt down himself. He grabbed a cup and started drinking.

"So, Fai-san, were those delicious chocolates you gave Kurogane-san homemade?" Tomoyo asked. Kurogane sputtered and choked on his tea.

"We are still on that subject?!" Kurogane coughed out angrily. Fai laughed.

"Thats right, I made them."

"Ma! You must be a very talented cook to make sweet things Kurogane-san would enjoy!" Tomoyo giggled. Kurogane slammed his cup on the table.

"Wha-!" He started.

"Why thank you Tomoyo-chan, I like cooking very much." Fai said. Tomoyo clapped her hands together.

"Well then, how would you like to cook something for us?" There was a moment of silence as this statement went through Fai and Kurogane's heads. Fai looked perplexed, and Kurogane just about fell over.

"HAH?!" Kurogane shouted. Fai blinked.

"I don't mind, but are you sure?" Fai asked. Tomoyo nodded.

"Of couse, Fai-san! I would love to try your cooking! I'm sure Kurogane-san does too!" Kurogane twitched at this statement.

"Oi-oi Hime, what do you think you-"

"Kurogane-san! Please show Fai to the kitchen and help him get started!" Kurogane left his mouth hanging open. After a moment, he stood up.

"Come on, idiot." He barked. Fai stood up also.

"Haai!!" he sang, pranced over to Kurogane. Kurogane sighed wearily. He slid the fusuma to the side and led Fai into the adjacent kitchen. He sighed again.

"Tomoyo-hime is planning something." He said. Fai looked over curiously.

"Hmm? What do you mean Kuro-pon?"

"....Never mind."

"Heh... Anyway, what does Kuro-tan want to eat?"

"What?"

"I'm cooking, remember? What do you want?"

"Uh... well..." Kurogane stuttered. Fai laughed.

"You seem embarrassed Kuro-pi!"

"Am not!"

"So? What do you want?"

"Uh, I don't care, I guess..."

"You are difficult, Kuro-tan... Well, lets see what ingredients you have." Fai bounced around the kitchen, opening cupboards and drawers, rummaging through them and tossing things out. Kurogane caught a flying spatula and waved it madly.

"Oi! Don't just go searching through other people's stuff!" He yelled. Fai was half-buried in the pantry, his rear sticking out as he delved into the food closet.

"Kuro-pyon! You don't have any food! You only have instant ramen and rice! What do you eat every day Kuro-run?" Fai backed out of the pantry and looked over at Kurogane.

"Can you cook at all, Kuro-pi?" Kurogane twitched and blushed slightly.

"I can make eggs." Kurogane mumbled.

"Thats a start, can you make toast?"

"Yes I can make toast! And I can use the microwave too!" Kurogane retorted. Fai began clapping, a teasing smile on his face.

"Wah, sugoi! The puppy is so smart!" Fai chimed. Kurogane hurled the spatula he was holding at Fai. Fai ducked quickly, and the spatula crashed into the wall, the flat end embedded in the wood, quivering.

"I'll kill you, you damn blond." Kurogane growled. Fai stood up laughing.

"Temper, Kuro-chi! Well, lets take a peek in your fridge!"

"Tch." Fai whipped around and stuck his head in Kurogane's refrigerator.

"Aha!" Fai turned around triumphantly, holding a plastic Tupperware.

"Thats just some leftover meat from takeout yesterday." Kurogane grumbled. Fai waggled his finger.

"Oh no, Kuro-chan. With this leftover meat, flour, vegetables, and the spices I found in your pantry, I shall make.... Curry!" Fai stated triumphantly. Kurogane blinked.

"Ah..." He said. Fai bounced up to Kurogane.

"Does Kuro-tan not like curry?" Fai asked. Kurogane twitched at the sudden proximity.

"No- uh, I don't mind it." He mumbled.

"Then its settled! Will you help me get the rice started, Kuro-pyon?" Fai pranced around the room, gathering ingredients. He took out a large pot and placed it on the stove. He started peeling the carrots, when he glanced over at Kurogane. Kurogane had the bucket of rice on the counter, a measuring cup in his hand, and was staring intently at the rice cooker. Fai popped up over Kurogane's shoulder.

"What's up Kuro-pin?" Fai asked.

"I thought I told you to stop calling me those stupid nicknames!" Kurogane snarled. Fai ignored this outburst.

"Are you having trouble with the rice, Kuro-chi?" Kurogane's body jerked.

"I've... never succeeded in making rice."

"What do you mean?" A vein appeared in Kurogane's forehead.

"I... always end up burning it." Kurogane growled forcibly. Fai blinked incredulously.

"How do you burn rice?"

"Oh shut up." Kurogane snapped. Fai laughed.

"Don't worry Kuro-puu! I'll teach you!" Fai lilted. Kurogane sighed.

"Whatever." Fai grabbed Kurogane's hands, Kurogane protesting vehemently, but he did not jerk away as Fai assisted him in measuring out the rice and correct amount of water. Kurogane pushed the button to begin cooking the rice, and Fai applauded.

"Waai! Kuro-sama did it!"

"Tch." Fai left Kurogane and resumed making the curry, Sautéing the meat as he chopped the vegetables. Kurogane stood there awkwardly for a moment before he said,

"I'm gonna go see what the princess is doing." Fai nodded energetically, and Kurogane stalked out of the room. When the door slid shut, Fai's smile slowly melted off of his face. He chopped the vegetables mechanically, the knife beating in a steady rhythm, accompanied intermittently by the sizzle of the sautéing meat. Fai dumped the vegetables into the same pan as the meat, steam rising and hissing as the ingredients struck the hot pan. He flipped the pan, tossing the ingredients. Fai's thoughts wandered to the girl, that beautiful girl that Fai saw next to Kurogane.

'_Tomoyo...' _Fai dumped the meat and vegetables into the large pot of boiling water. He took a deep, shuddering breath, and held it, before releasing it in a sigh. The steam above the pot billowed and swirled, driven by the sigh. Once again, in his mind, Fai saw the two of them standing by the entrance to Horitsuba High. Standing so naturally together, as if they had never been apart. Once again Fai saw the gentle, caring smile that Kurogane had given to Tomoyo. Fai's legs collapsed, and his hand shot up to clasp his aching chest. He sat, crumpled on the kitchen floor, his shoulders shaking in a silent, suppressed, sob. That smile was stuck in his head, haunting his every thought. That smile that wasn't for him.

_'Why? When did I start... to need him?' _Fai thought despairingly.

_'Why? Why did I think that anything would change? Why did I let myself... get so close to him? Why couldn't I let things alone?' _Fai, in his heart, knew the answer to that question.

"I don't... want to be alone anymore..." Fai whispered. Silence pressed upon the kitchen, sinking slowly into Fai's heart. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed dimly in his head. Fai took another deep breath, standing up quickly. He grabbed a ladle and began stirring the curry determinedly, refusing to look towards the door.

"Fai-san?" Tomoyo's musical voice chimed as the fusuma slid open. Fai turned, the smile safely back on his face.

"Ah! Tomoyo-chan? I thought you were with Kurogane!" Fai said carefully. Heart aching as he pronounced Kurogane's full name.

"Oh, no." Tomoyo smiled. Fai blinked.

"But he-"

"He walked right by me Fai-san, then he went out back, I believe he needed to gather his thoughts." Tomoyo said sweetly. Fai stared, confused, at Tomoyo.

"Why?" Fai asked.

"It appears he has a important new person in his life, who has proven to be most puzzling."

"What?" Fai said. Tomoyo giggled.

"Poor Kurogane-san just can't seem to get this person off of his mind. " Fai's eyes widened, and heat crept up his cheeks.

"What- But Tomoyo-chan-"

"You thought that we were together, didn't you?" Fai did not answer, and Tomoyo giggled lightly.

"But, he- cares a lot about you." Fai whispered. Tomoyo smiled gently.

"Yes, he is very important to me, also. But I am not his girlfriend, I guess you could call me his benefactor."

"What do you mean?" Fai asked. Tomoyo pulled a chair out of the corner of the room and sat down gracefully.

"Well its a story from a long time ago, would you like to hear?" Fai nodded, smiling blankly, curiosity piqued.

"When we were both children, my family took him in and raised him. At first, Kurogane-san lived with his parents, his mother was a priestess of a shrine, and his father worked in the defense force, they were very kind, and very well-off. Our families were relatively close, our parents having known each other, though Kurogane-san and I had never met. I have heard that Kurogane-san looks exactly like his father, who was a very strong man. Kurogane-san lived happily with his parents, living the life of a typical, energetic boy. However, when he was 8, a thief broke into the shrine, brutally murdered both of Kurogane-san's parents, and after robbing the shrine, set it on fire and burned it to the ground. My mother and I rushed over to Kurogane-san's house. We found him, crouched over the bodies of his parents, crying amidst the burnt remains of his home. I convinced my family to take him in, and ever since then, we have lived together like siblings. He has called me "princess" ever since then, with the childish idea that if he served me enough, one day he would repay me." Silence reigned over the kitchen as Tomoyo finished. Fai did not say anything, unsure, and shocked. Suddenly the door slid open, and Kurogane stepped in.

"Geez, Hime, you came in here?" He said. He looked around the room curiously, taking his Tomoyo's poised position, and Fai's dulled smile. Fai stared uncertainly at Kurogane. Kurogane cocked his eyebrow.

"Oi, what's going on?" He asked. Tomoyo stood up and brushed the crinkles out of her skirt.

"Oh nothing, Kurogane-san, I was just telling Fai-san how you and I met." There was a moment of silence as Kurogane took this statement in.

"Wait, you WHAT?!" Kurogane yelled. Tomoyo just smiled sweetly.

"How much did you tell him?" Kurogane growled.

"All of it." Tomoyo stated happily. Kurogane turned to glare at Fai, and Fai recoiled, taking a tentative step back.

"Kuro-sama..." Fai whispered hesitantly. Kurogane sighed.

"What's with that face?"

"Huh?"

"So you know about my past, thats all. It happened a long time ago. There is no need for you to get all caught up in it, so stop looking so depressed." Fai blinked a couple times, then slowly, he started to smile, a smile with the definite reflection of a true smile. Kurogane grinned in return, and Fai's heart soared. That smile was for him.

"So? Is the curry done yet?" Kurogane asked. Fai beamed and waved the ladle in the air.

"Almost! I just need to mix in the spices! Will you get the dishes out, Kuro-mi?" Fai lilted. Kurogane nodded, and Tomoyo smiled ever so brightly. Fai carefully mixed in the spices, and as the soup thickened, Kurogane got out the bowls and wide spoons.

"With you two working together on dinner like that, you look just like a married couple!" Tomoyo sang. Kurogane and Fai froze. Kurogane dropped the bowls he was holding, catching them just before they crashed to the ground. He whirled on Tomoyo.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?!" Kurogane bellowed. Fai smiled gently, before turning around, laughing joyously. The goofy, teasing smile, happily spread out across his face. He skipped over to Kurogane and threw his arms and Kurogane's neck.

"Don't we? I think I make just the perfect housewife!!" Fai sang out. Kurogane flailed his arms madly.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO?!?" Get off of me!!" Kurogane roared. Fai just laughed. He detached himself from Kurogane and trotted over to the stove.

"Ne, ne, Kuro-chi?" Fai chimed.

"What?!" Kurogane panted angrily.

"Come taste the curry!" Kurogane sighed and walked over to Fai, taking the small sampling bowl and dipping it in the now thick and sumptuous curry. Kurogane slowly and carefully brought it to his lips. Fai studied his face closely. Kurogane's eyes widened, and he stared at the curry curiously.

"SO?" Fai pressed.

"...Delicious." Fai smiled ecstatically.

"Yay!! Thats good! I'll dish it out then!" The weight on Fai's heart had lifted and soared far away into the sky. Somehow, somewhere, something had changed. The glass wall that separated them had cracked, but what would happen when it shattered?

**END**

**WOOO HOOOO! I HOPE YOU LIKED IT! The first time i made rice, i burned it too D: Thank you for reading the notice if you did! i really hated to have to say something like that and i hope i didnt offend anyone. If i came off as rude, i apologize. it really was just a misunderstanding that i didnt want to develop. PLEASE REVIEW! I LOVE PEOPLE WHO REVIEW!!! :)  
**


	6. March: White

**Hi everyone!! I'm baaack!! Today, I present to you, the White Day chapter! Published on White Day!!! yay!! I apologize for the large gap between chapters, and I have a ton of excuses that I am sure you would rather not hear. :) I really am dissatisfied with this chapter, I think the characters are a tad out of character... and I am afraid I might have made Fai act like a whiny teenager... grr But it is you who tells me how it is, so please enjoy! AND HAPPY WHITE DAY!!**

**Anime/Manga: **Tsubasa reservoir chronicles, based on CLAMP's omake: Horitsuba  
**Couples:** KURO-FAI, hints of Syao-Saku and Dou-Wata ^///^  
**Rating: **T (mostly for later chapters)  
**Warnings: **YAOI! (boy on boy love) no like, turn back now! you have been warned. Swearing, and violence in later chapters  
**Disclaimer:** I love CLAMP, but i do not channel their genius, all characters belong to CLAMP. Story is for fan-purposes only.

**Glossary**

**Ohayo- **Good morning :)  
**Sugoi**- "amazing"  
**Wah**- just a cute way of saying "wow"  
**Arigatou**- Thank you**  
Hai- **"yes"  
**  
**

**Chapter 5- White**

Fai wandered through the halls of Horitsuba High. His white lab coat swished around his ankles, as he walked gaily about, smiling his usual smile. The halls were relatively empty, most of the students had gone outside to enjoy the beautiful March weather. The classes after lunch had been canceled, in Yuuko's pursuit of celebrating today's holiday. Fai's blue eyes searched the halls, glancing around expectantly. He poked his head around the nearest corner, and his eyes lit up. Kurogane was traversing down the halls, dressed in his usual black and red school uniform, with a large bag slung over his shoulder. His eyes were closed and he was muttering to himself under his breath. Fai leaped around the corner happily.

"Kuro-tan!!" He sang out. Kurogane started and jumped back, his eyes snapped open.

"Wha-" He stuttered. Fai laughed.

"Did I surprise you? That's odd, Kuro-pon, what were you thinking so hard about?" Fai asked. To Fai's surprise, Kurogane's face turned a little bit red.

"Nothing." He growled. Fai blinked. Fai glanced over Kurogane's shoulder. The bag he was carrying was bulky and odd shaped.

"What's that, Kuro-chi? You don't usually have a bag." Fai said curiously. Kurogane took a step back.

"Well, uh..." He muttered. Fai tried to look around Kurogane's shoulder, but Kurogane jerked away. Fai put his lips in a pout.

"Jeez, Kuro-pi, let me see!" Fai said and leaped behind Kurogane again. Kurogane deftly turned away, so Fai leaped to the other side, and Kurogane turned away again. This little jumping and dodging battle continued, then Fai feinted, and ducked gracefully under Kurogane's arm. Fai grabbed the bag victoriously and looked inside.

"Hyuuu." The bag was filled to the brim with what had to be at least one-hundred white roses, all of them in full bloom and wrapped in plastic for protection. Kurogane sighed heavily.

"They are for all the girls who gave me chocolates... I cleaned out about eight flower shops before I got enough of the damn things..."

"Hyu-Hyuuu! Kuro-chan sure got a lot of chocolates then!" Fai lilted. Kurogane, ever sharp, heard the change of pitch in Fai's voice and noticed the light in his eyes dull.

"What about you?" Kurogane asked. "You got a ton of chocolate too, didn't you?" Fai nodded.

"Yup! But I don't have much money right now, so I drew all the girls pictures." Fai smiled. Kurogane blinked.

"You draw?" He asked incredulously. Fai nodded again. In his mind, Kurogane envisioned little stick figures, square houses, and circular trees with straight trunks.

"Wanna see one?" Fai asked. He then reached into his pocked and flipped out a small sheet of paper, shoving it under Kurogane's nose. Kurogane peeked at it doubtfully. Then his eyes widened and his mouth dropped unwillingly.

"You... drew this?"

"Yup! This one is for Sakura-chan! I wanted to give it to her personally, the others I put in the girl's shoe lockers." It was a elaborate ink drawing of a huge, blooming Sakura tree, sitting atop a grassy hill, with a river running off into the distance. The detail and realism was incredible. The branches and flowers and stems were all intricately lined and shaded, there were petals drifting off of the tree and falling gently into the flowing water. Kurogane could only stare, unbelieving.

"I figured scenery was the quickest, so I just drew a bunch of landscapes."

"Exactly how many did you draw?" Kurogane inquired. Fai placed his finger on his chin.

"Hmmm... one hundred and forty.... seven?" Kurogane just stared blankly.

"Where the hell did you get all the paper?"

"Nicked it from the staff room." Giggling then sounded from down the hall, and Kurogane and Fai turned their heads. Sakura was walking down the hall, accompanied by Tomoyo. Tomoyo's hair was in braids and she was now wearing the red blazer and skirt that was the Horitsuba High uniform. Tomoyo had announced a few weeks ago that she was transferring to Horitsuba High on account of an extremely cute girl she had met named Sakura. The two had bonded almost instantly, and were now inseparable. Fai waved at them happily, and they both waved back.

"Ohayo, Sakura-chan, Tomoyo-chan!" Fai greeted them.

"Ohayo!" Sakura answered.

"Ohayogozaimasu." Tomoyo chimed politely. Kurogane just nodded. Fai glanced over at Sakura.

"Ah, are those new ribbons, Sakura-chan?" Fai asked. A dainty rose blush spread over Sakura's cheeks. Her hair was tied up at the sides with a smooth, white satin ribbon. The extra ribbon fell gracefully about her neck and a strip of it ran over the top of her head.

"Ha- hai... Syaoran gave them to me today, as a White Day present." Sakura murmured sweetly, stroking the ribbons gently with a finger. Tomoyo giggled softly.

"Heh... that's great Sakura-chan!" Fai said in a quiet, motherly tone. "Speaking of White Day, here is my gift to you." Fai handed Sakura the ink drawing. Sakura's eyes sparkled.

"Ah! This is beautiful, Fai-sensei! Did you draw this?"

"Yup, thats right." Fai nodded kindly.

"Sugoi! You are so talented, Fai-sensei! You are good at science, and you can cook and draw!" Sakura sang.

"Arigatou, Sakura-chan." Fai smiled. Tomoyo looked over at Kurogane.

"Are all those roses White Day presents as well, Kurogane-san?" She said sweetly. Kurogane twitched.

"Yeah." He mumbled. Sakura's eyes widened, and her mouth opened in a cute "o".

"Wah, Kurogane-sensei is popular!" This innocent statement made Kurogane twitch again, and a vein appeared in his forehead. Fai laughed merrily, and Tomoyo giggled daintily.

"Oh yes, Kurogane-san," Tomoyo said, speaking in a horrifyingly honey-sweet voice, "I'm sure you remembered to get Fai-san his White Day present, correct?" Kurogane jumped back as if he had been burned. Fai's heart skipped a beat, but he immediately leaped on Kurogane with a wide smile.

"Thats right, Kuro-pin! Where is my present?"

"Wha-Ah-Oi!" Kurogane shouted jerkily. Fai clung on to Kurogane laughing his teasing laugh. Suddenly Kurogane jerked away with surprising force, and Fai lost his grip and fell back until he collided with the wall.

"Ouch!" Fai yelped. Kurogane turned and stared at Fai, hesitant, before he turned around roughly and stalked down the hall. He turned the corner and left a surprised Fai and a confused Sakura. Tomoyo, however, just smiled. Sakura tilted her head.

"What happened to Kurogane-sensei? Is he mad at something?"

"Who knows?" Tomoyo mused. Fai was staring blankly down the hallway when a gentle touch from Sakura jerked his attention away. He turned and smiled at Sakura.

"Hmm?"

"Are you okay, Fai-sensei?" Sakura asked softly.

"Of course!" Fai said brightly. Sakura watched him concernedly.

"All right then..." She said slowly. Tomoyo stepped forward and took Sakura's hand.

"Sakura-chan, we need to go meet Syaoran-kun remember?" She said. Sakura nodded happily.

"Yeah! Lets go, Tomoyo-chan!" As they walked away, Tomoyo turned and gave Fai a gentle, encouraging smile. Fai waved at them as they walked away. When they disappeared, Fai's hand faltered, and dropped limply to his side.

Kurogane stomped down the hall towards his office grumbling, his face a bright red.

"Damn that Tomoyo-hime..." He growled. He approached his office and threw the door open, slamming it madly behind him. He leaned heavily on the door and heaved a deep, rumbling sigh, placing his hand wearily on his forehead. His other hand traveled to his pocket. He reached in and his fingers closed around a small box. He lifted it out carefully. It was a simple white cardboard box, tied with a silver silk ribbon. Kurogane stared at it intently for a moment, before shoving it back in his pocket.

"Tch."

Fai was once again wandering through the halls, smiling carelessly, looking to all the world a happy picture. But his smile was bland and baseless, his eyes were fixed on a point ahead of him, and he was walking quickly. The final bell echoed dimly in his ears. A few students called his name, and he waved jovially at them, but did not meet their eyes. He wandered towards his classroom, opened the door and shut himself inside. The lights were off, but he did not turn them on. He meandered through the shadowy room, absentmindedly running his fingers along the lab tables. A small spike of light was filtering through the crack under the door, and was the only source of light in the chemistry room. Fai hummed a nameless tune, leaning against his teacher's desk. The tune died out slowly and was sucked into the silence. Fai laughed airily.

"Well, I wasn't expecting anything anyway!" Fai spoke brightly to the darkness.

'_Then why are you so disappointed?'_ A nasty little voice replied from the shadows.

"I'm not." Fai spoke back, voice determinedly bright, "It's what I expected, after all, anyway, its just a silly present, its not in Kuro-chan's character to do something like that, he just isn't that type of person, I don't need a present, I never expected one anyway." Fai rambled on, but he still couldn't convince himself. Nor could he convince the nagging voice that laughed at him from the corners of the room. Pain. A dull pain that had been suppressed for so long was rising in his heart. Fai's hands clenched tightly on the edge of the desk, until his knuckles turned white. He strained out another laugh.

"I'm pathetic... Its just... just a present."

_'Oh but it's not' _The snide voice replied.

"Shut up!" Fai choked out. The pressing silence reigned. Fai knew that the voice was right. It wasn't just a present, it had become something else entirely, a desperate attempt for a connection, a shred of evidence that maybe, somebody was thinking of him. But Fai wouldn't, couldn't admit that, not even to himself. What had he been expecting? That Kurogane would dump all one-hundred-something white roses at his feet, then pick him up and carry him away? Fai no longer knew what he wanted, or expected. His thoughts swirled around hopelessly in his brain, as the pain slowly spread through his chest. Fai had been reaching out desperately, stretching for that pinprick of light in the distance, knowing, despite himself, that it was too far away. Had he expected Kurogane to be that pinprick of light? Had he _wanted_ him to be that light? Fai did not know anymore, and now, as he looked around him, all he saw was darkness. Suddenly, the door burst open and blinding light streamed into the room. Fai flinched and closed his eyes against the brilliant light. He slowly cracked his eyes open and squinted at the doorway. Kurogane was silhouetted against the doorway, with light from the hall wrapped around him. Fai's mouth opened in surprise.

"Kuro...?"

"What the hell are you doing, sitting there with the lights off!?" Kurogane barked, and he flipped the light switch. Light flooded the room and Fai shut his eyes again. When his eyes became accustomed to the light, Fai opened them slowly. Kurogane was standing a few feet away from him, arms folded, and watching Fai carefully. Fai had been thoroughly shocked by Kurogane's sudden appearance, and his heart was was beating madly. He was completely off guard.

"Kuro-....sama? What are you doing here?" Fai asked slowly.

"Looking for you, idiot." Kurogane growled.

"Why?" Fai whispered carefully. The smile that was usually there was absent, and Kurogane felt a twinge in his heart at the repressed sadness he saw in those eyes. Kurogane did not reply right away. Fai took a deep breath and tried to regain control of himself. He straightened up, his teasing smile back on his face. He pranced over to Kurogane and grabbed his arm.

"Hmmm? What's up Kuro-bun? Cat got your tongue?" Fai giggled, poking Kurogane's cheek.

"You aren't fooling me, you know." Kurogane rumbled quietly. Fai took a quick step back.

"Huh?"

"You may be fooling everyone else, but not me." Kurogane said staring intently at Fai. Fai opened and closed his mouth, but nothing came out. Kurogane sighed roughly.

"Whatever, that's not what I came here for anyway."

"Eh?" Was all Fai could say. That's when Fai noticed Kurogane's hand sneaking from behind his back.

"Here." Kurogane said. He extended his arm toward Fai, and Fai's eyes widened. In Kurogane's hand sat a small white box tied with a silver ribbon. Laying precariously atop the box was a single white rose. But it was different from the scores of roses Kurogane had before. It was blooming, but not fully opened. It was a pure, shining white, extending to the tips of the petals, where the white faded into silver. The center-most buds were almost completely silver, and glittered in the fluorescent light. Fai extended his hand carefully and took the rose and the box. He looked up from the box and met Kurogane's eyes.

"Kuro-sama..." Fai whispered.

"Happy White Day" Kurogane grumbled, looking highly indignant, but a red blush was rising in his cheeks. Fai looked back at the rose, eyes wide and mouth open. He raised the rose to his eyes and looked at it with awe. Suddenly Fai turned around and dashed to the other side of the room. Kurogane jumped.

"Oi! What are you-?" He stuttered. Fai was rummaging through his cupboards, and after a time, he emerged holding a glass beaker. He dashed back across the room and took the beaker to the sink. He filled it with water, placed it on the desk, and gently placed the rose inside. Fai straightened up to look at Kurogane again, and Kurogane's heart did an odd little flip-flop. A soft, tender smile had placed itself on Fai's lips. Fai's blue eyes were shimmering, and a spark of what seemed to be hope danced behind those azure eyes.

"Thank you." Fai said softly. Kurogane twitched, suddenly feeling very embarrassed, and huffed quietly. Fai was now examining the small box.

"Can I open it?" Fai asked happily. Kurogane nodded gruffly. Fai gently grasped the ribbon between his thumb and forefinger and pulled. The ribbon slid off and Fai opened the box. Fai gasped. In the box sat a crystalline statue of a cat. The cat was lean and beautifully poised, setting gracefully on its hind legs. But perhaps the most beautiful feature was the eyes. They were made out of pure sapphire, and each individual facet of the jewel was scintillating against the light, glittering different shades of blue. Fai ran his finger along the elegant outline of the cat. His eyes were wide and sparkling just like the cat's eyes. The dull, burning feeling in Fai's chest had started to evaporate, as a light, warm feeling took its place. Kurogane had turned to the side, facing deliberately away from Fai, but his eyes were fixed on the soft expression on Fai's face, as a warmth Kurogane never would have thought possible streamed through the glass barrier. Suddenly, Fai turned and ran towards Kurogane, tackling him into a hug. Kurogane let out an "oomph" at the impact.

"Waai! Kuro-chan got me a White Day present!" Fai sang. The loud, teasing voice had returned, but Kurogane noticed that it wasn't the forced cheerfulness that Fai usually emplified. Kurogane jumped as heat rushed to his face, and he tried to force it down.

"I... I didn't want to owe you anything! Now we are even for the chocolates!" Kurogane shouted. Fai backed away and laughed merrily.

"Yup! Thank you, Kuro-chi!"

"A-ah..." Kurogane mumbled. Fai danced back to his desk and and placed the cat statue next to the beaker where the rose sat. He admired them for awhile, as Kurogane stood there awkwardly.

"...Hey-" Kurogane started, but he was immediately cut off by and explosion of squeals coming from out in the hall. Kurogane and Fai looked around curiously. Excited screaming and high-pitched girl squeaks issued from just outside the door. Fai pranced to the door and opened it, peeking curiously outside, and Kurogane followed. A huge pack of girls had stopped in the hall, all congregating around a space, pointing and giggling. The boy students stood behind them, straining to see what was going on, then donned looks of shock and covered their faces with their hands. Fai and Kurogane followed the pointing fingers, and their mouths fell open. Doumeki was pinning Watanuki to the wall, their mouths enclosed in a kiss. Watanuki's face was a fiery red, with either anger or embarrassment, possibly both, and he was thrashing madly. But his struggling was to no avail. Doumeki's strong hands were grasping Watanuki's arms, and was clearly overpowering him. Watanuki stopped struggling after awhile, and slowly started to give in. Doumeki then pulled away, smirked, and started to walk away, placing his trademark deadpan expression back on his face. Watanuki stood there, flushed and panting, before leaping up madly.

"Oi! What the hell was that!?" He yelled after Doumeki. Doumeki stopped walking and turned around.

"You demanded a White Day present, I gave you one." Doumeki stated blandly. Watanuki opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish, his face still burning. After a moment, he dashed after Doumeki flailing his arms wildly.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean!? Thats not a present!! Who said I wanted a present like that anyway!? And with everyone watching!?!" Watanuki yelled. The yells carried down the hall as the two boys disappeared. Fai laughed merrily as the girls around him giggled and whispered.

"Well that was interesting." Fai said amusedly. Kurogane just stood there, a mixture of horror and fascination on his face, and he wisely chose not to say anything.

"Yes it certainly was interesting." A musical voice chimed. Tomoyo, Sakura and Syaoran appeared out of the crowd. Syaoran was covering his face, and what you could see of it was bright red. Sakura's cheeks were innocently dusted with pink, and she looked slightly embarrassed and a little excited. Tomoyo's eyes were sparkling, and Fai noticed a camcorder in her hand.

"Is that a camera, Tomoyo-chan?" Fai asked. Tomoyo laughed a not-so-innocent laugh and hugged the camcorder to her chest.

"Why yes it is, Fai-san, I always keep it with me for the sake of filming special little moments like this."

"Ah... I see." Fai said, smiling uncertainly.

"Oh my oh my, what happened here?" A smooth, elegant voice spoke from behind Kurogane. They all turned to see Yuuko standing there, with her hands on her hips. Tomoyo giggled girlishly.

"Doumeki was just giving Watanuki a special White Day present!" Tomoyo said in her honey-sweet voice. Yuuko's eyes glittered devilishly.

"Oh, is that so? How unfortunate, I missed it." Yuuko said, sounding extravagantly disappointed.

"Oh don't worry Yuuko-sensei," Tomoyo replied, "Of course I got it all on camera."

"Oh you clever girl! I trust you will share it with me!"

"But of course, Yuuko-sensei." Then they both laughed, a rather unsettling "Ohohoho" laugh, that made everyone around them take a swift step backwards. Fai laughed nervously, and Kurogane's did a twitchy "face-palm" action. The students began to disperse, and soon the hall was almost empty.

"Why that reminds me..." Yuuko said smoothly, before rounding on Kurogane and Fai.

"I have not received _any _compensation from either of you!" Yuuko said severely, "I do recall giving _both _of you chocolates." Fai smiled.

"Of course, Yuuko-san! I'll grab yours right now!" He said, and disappeared into his classroom. He appeared again moments later, a package in his hand.

"Here you are." He said, and handed it to Yuuko. A girlish joy, which looked quite out of place on her, spread over her face. She grabbed the package and unwrapped it. It was also an ink drawing, but larger than the others, and sitting in a highly embellished red and black frame. Inscribed on the paper was an intricate picture of a butterfly sitting on a delicate flower.

"Thank you very much, Fai-sensei, I will treasure it." Yuuko said, smiling. She turned to Kurogane, who jumped. He looked away quickly, and Yuuko's eyes narrowed.

"Kurogane-sensei!" Yuuko demanded. Kurogane said nothing.

"You do realize that you haven't given me a White Day present right?" Kurogane turned around angrily.

"Like hell I'm giving _you_ a present, Witch!" Kurogane yelled.

"Kurogane-sensei!" Yuuko stressed, towering over Kurogane. Kurogane twitched, and he looked around desperately.

"Ah- Tomoyo-hime! School ended ages ago, I'll walk you home!" Kurogane shouted, rather forcefully. Tomoyo smiled.

"Hai, Kurogane-san." Kurogane proceeded to walk quickly down the hall, and Tomoyo followed, waving goodbye to everyone. Yuuko tapped her finger on her arm impatiently.

"I'll have you remember Kurogane-sensei, that if a White Day present is late the value doubles!!" Yuuko shouted after him. Kurogane hurried, ever faster, down the hall, and left the whole group, including Fai, behind. When Kurogane reached the front gates, he stopped and waited patiently for Tomoyo to catch up. Tomoyo walked calmly out to join him.

"Tch... Damn Witch..." Kurogane muttered mutinously as Tomoyo joined him. Tomoyo just giggled, and the two of them began to walk down the road. Kurogane turned and glared at Tomoyo.

"So, Hime, why the hell did you bring up that idiot's present like that!?" Kurogane demanded.

"Hmmm? What are you talking about, Kurogane-san?" Tomoyo replied.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about!"

"I would have thought you would like the opportunity given to you."

"Like hell! Because of you he got all depressed and thought I didn't get him one!"

"I believe that was your fault, Kurogane-san, you are the one who shoved him and ran off, am I right?" Tomoyo said, her voice getting progressively sweeter.

"Wha-!" Kurogane started, but thought better of it. "Yeah I guess you are right..." He mumbled. Tomoyo laughed quietly.

"Well, how did it go after that, then?"

"He liked it, I guess.." Kurogane said, his face growing rather hot. Tomoyo smiled.

"That's good then."

"Ah..." It was silent as they walked down the street, and then a large mansion loomed up in front of them, and Tomoyo walked in the gate.

"Thank you for walking me home, Kurogane-san."

"Yeah."

"You really do like Fai-san, don't you?" She said, giggling. Kurogane jumped madly.

"WHAT!?" He yelled, but Tomoyo was already walking away, leaving Kurogane shouting strangled, vulgar protests after her.

"-that skinny blond- OI! TOMOYO-HIME!!"

**~End~**

**YAAAY! ALL DONE! I AM HOPING TO KEEP UP WITH THE PACE OF THE YEAR FIC, AND PUBLISHING TWO CHAPTERS A MONTH, PARALLEL TO THE TIME IT IS IN THE STORY! SO EXPECT ANOTHER MARCH CHAPTER BEFORE THE END OF THIS MONTH! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!! I _NEED_ YOU TO TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!!! :)  
**


	7. March: Club

よ みんあさん！ げんきか？ 追い指しぶり**！(haha! my Japanese IME is working!) Hello Everyone! How are you? Long time no see! :D Yes... I'm still alive. Though at times i question it myself... haha. Well i finally had a lull in the life of the hard-working college student with two jobs... so i decided to get my rear in gear and put this chapter up! This is by far my FAVORITE chapter so far, I hope you love it as much as I do! **

Eto... no Japanese words that need to be defined as far as i can tell... moving on!**  
**

Culture Note

Just a little one this time, in the Japanese school system, school is held on Saturday, unlike many schools in the U.S. This day is always an early-out day, and they release at about noon. Another note, this story does indeed take place in Tokyo, though I haven't mentioned it. As you know, Tokyo is a VERY large city, and the main part of Tokyo that everyone visualizes with the big sky-scrapers as the "Asian" version of New York (Central Tokyo is much larger, by the way) is only part of the city, central Tokyo is divided into a few large sections, ones you may have heard of before, such as Shibuya or Ikebukuro, are parts of the larger city. as you move towards the outskirts, the city turns into suburbs (essentially) and these are also divided into sections. These suburbs generally have little mini city centers in them, wherein you find your local supermarket and such. Horitsuba is located in one of these suburban districts. I hope that made sense, feel free to ask me any questions!

ENJOY!

**Chapter 6- Club**

"Tohno-kun!"

"Hai!"

"Miwako-kun!"

"Hai!"  
"Takashi-kun!"

"Hai!"

"Okay then!" Fai said, snapping his folder shut, "Everyone is here! Now, open your textbooks to page 197; "Molecular Structure" and take out your notes!" There was a rustle of movement as the students obeyed. Fai skipped over to the chalkboard, his blond hair shining and his lab coat billowing behind him. He pulled down a chart of a molecule and grabbed a meter stick, using it to point at the chart.

"All right everyone, this is a simple H2O molecule. Today we will be talking about the conditions required to combine elements together to make a molecule." Fai pointed at the different parts of the molecule, talking animatedly. The frantic scratching of pencils echoed in reply. It was a sunny Saturday morning at Horitsuba High. It was a warm day, and a slight breeze rustled the blooming trees. The seasons were crawling towards a mild spring as March slowly came to a close.

"Now, in the case of a water molecule, or H2O, it is composed of two Hydrogen atoms and one Oxygen atom. We write this using the symbol H, with the subscript 2, indicating there are two molecules, for Hydrogen and attach the symbol for Oxygen, O, to the end." Fai continued happily as the last period of the day flew on. After a time, the bell rang, signaling the end of the day. The class representative stood up, and after the "Stand. Bow" call, the students hurried to pack their things, as Fai yelled over them,

"Hai! I'd like you to read Chapter 12 over the weekend, and be ready for a short quiz! After the quiz we will start an experiment!" The students yelled a few excited replies, and filed out, wondering what kind of experiment they would do on Monday, and musing on the possibility of explosions. Fai swept up the papers on his desk, and flicked his wrist against the poster string, causing the molecule chart to fly up. He hummed as he straightened the folders on his desk, placing them in a filing cabinet.

"Why me!" A voice yelled from outside. Fai perked up. That was Kurogane's voice.

"Oh come now, Kuro-sensei, why not?" Another voice spoke, Fai recognized the smooth, satin voice as Yuuko's. The voices grew closer and the door to the Chemistry room burst open. Yuuko came striding in, followed by an apparently ticked off Kurogane. Kurogane looked up, meeting Fai's eyes, and stopped dead in his tracks. Yuuko looked up as well. She smiled at Fai.

"Ah, good afternoon, Fai-sensei." She said. Fai returned her smile.

"Good afternoon, Yuuko-san, what brings you here?" Fai asked, throwing a curious glance at Kurogane. Kurogane huffed and looked away.

"Oh, I'm glad you asked, Fai-sensei" Yuuko said slyly. Kurogane whipped his head around to glare at Yuuko.

"I'm NOT doing it." He objected. Yuuko stared coldly at Kurogane, who wilted slightly under her gaze. Fai blinked confusedly.

"Not doing what, Kuro-tan?" He inquired. Kurogane ignored him pointedly, not even commenting on the correct pronunciation of his name. Yuuko tut-tutted, then looked back at Fai.

"You haven't been to the city yet, right, Fai-sensei?" Yuuko asked, an odd glint dancing in her eye.

"That's right," Fai nodded, perplexed, "I've only been to the market near my apartment.

"Then," Yuuko pressed in a girlish voice, "would you like to see the city?" Fai still could not see where this was going.

"I suppose so." Fai blinked.

"Well then, why don't you let Kurogane take you on a date to the city?"

"I told you Witch, I'm NOT doing it! I refuse to go on a DATE with this guy!" Kurogane barked. This would have been a perfect opportunity for Fai to jump in and relentlessly tease poor Kurogane, but Fai couldn't bring himself to say anything. His heart was pounding in his ears, and a small, rising feeling in his chest had been beaten into submission by Kurogane's vehement response.

"Oh its all right, Yuuko-san," Fai interrupted, " I'm sure I could go downtown by myself sometime, Kuro-pi needn't take me." Kurogane's eyes slid over to Fai's smiling face. There it was again, that hollow, forced smile. Yuuko frowned and looked at Kurogane, who was having an internal battle between Pride and Guilt.

"Kurogane-sensei." Yuuko interjected sharply. Kurogane turned.

"What?" He demanded.

"If you take Fai-sensei on a date, I will consider your debt nullified."

"Debt? What debt?"

"I still have not received a White Day present from you, by now the value will have reached a 400% increase, which, if increased any more, will have to start coming out of your salary." Yuuko answered. Kurogane reeled slightly.

"What? You cant do that!" He shouted.

"I believe you'll find I can." Yuuko noted. Her voice had reached it's dangerous point. It fell like velvet curtains over a large and loaded machine gun. Fai watched the scene unfold, keeping an expression of mild interest on his face, as Kurogane and Yuuko stared each other down. Kurogane glowered at Yuuko, who gazed calmly but directly back. As they stared at each other, Kurogane's frame seemed to grow larger, seizing up out of pressure. Then, after a time, something punctured, and he let out a rough sigh, deflating.

"Fine." He spat. "But its NOT a date!" He added loudly. Yuuko smiled benignly.

"Excellent. I'll leave you two to it then." She announced, and strode out of the classroom. Unknown to Fai and Kurogane, Tomoyo was standing outside the door, and Yuuko, smirking, raised her hand, lifting two fingers in the "V" sign. Tomoyo giggled softly, and they stole down the hall together, tittering as they went. The Chemistry room had been left with an unmistakable air of awkwardness. Fai leaned casually against the desk, but his eyes were flitting constantly around the room. Kurogane's arms were folded, and he stared pointedly at the chalkboard while his forefinger tapped on his elbow.

"So-uh-" Kurogane started, and Fai looked over expectantly, but suddenly a loud, high-pitched beep pierced the air, and Fai jumped up.

"Oh!" He exclaimed. He walked quickly to a small cooler from which the beeping had emitted, opened it, and retrieved a glass phial. It was filled to the brim with a purple, glutinous substance, and a strong, pungent fume was whirling over the edge. Kurogane's nose crinkled slightly, and he watched, bewildered, as Fai walked over to the beaker which still held the silver-white rose, and began pouring the viscous liquid into it.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kurogane yelled, grabbing Fai's hand. For a second, Kurogane thought he saw Fai's face heat up in a blush. He turned and looked at Kurogane with innocent surprise etched on his face. As their eyes met, Kurogane felt a pulse shoot from his chest to their connected hands. He let go quickly and Fai looked away.

"What are you putting in there?" Kurogane asked gruffly, indicating the violet chemical.

"This, Kuro-chi," Fai responded eagerly, "Is a potion I mixed up. It contains multiple elements I fused together to create minerals, which are being used to simulate the nutrients that the rose would absorb out of the soil. I also added some chemicals that stimulate the production of chlorophyll, and speed the process of photosynthesis, enabling it to effectively use both fluorescent and natural light." Fai rattled off, smiling brilliantly. Kurogane just stared, incredulous.

"How 'bout in words I can understand, idiot?" Kurogane growled.

"Who's the idiot?" Fai taunted, waving his finger. He squatted down, ignoring the feral sounds emitting from Kurogane. Fai gazed at the rose fondly.

"I'm trying to keep it alive as long as I can." Fai said mildly. After the long scientific spiel, Kurogane was taken aback at the simply expressed desire. He watched Fai stare at the rose, taking in Fai's enraptured expression. It had been three and a half weeks since White Day, and the rose was still flourishing in its beaker. A strange sort of connection had formed when Kurogane had presented Fai with the rose and the statue, and with Fai trying so hard to keep such a viable thing like the rose alive, Kurogane felt a new depth in this thin connection. Kurogane moved his eyes to the side of the beaker, where the crystal cat usually was placed. It was not there.

"Oi, where's the statue?" Kurogane asked. Fai looked up.

"Oh, I've been locking it away, I'm afraid it will get stolen." Fai pointed out. He walked over to his desk, producing a key from his pocket, and slid it into a drawer, unlocking it. The drawer opened, and there was the cat, laying delicately on a small blue pillow. Kurogane blinked.

"Why do you keep it here if you think it will get stolen? Why don't you take it home?" He asked. Fai's hand slipped and he dropped the key. He picked it up quickly and locked the drawer, fussing with it as he went.

"Well," he said brightly, "It's safer here than at home, I think." he slipped the key back in his pocket, and, finished with locking the drawer, began straightening papers and objects on his desk, not looking at Kurogane.

"And why is that?" Kurogane asked suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing." Fai replied elatedly. Kurogane narrowed his eyes. The blond was obviously hiding something. Kurogane sighed, there was no way Fai was going to elaborate on the matter, so he decided to drop it.

"Anyway," Kurogane continued roughly, "So what is the plan for tonight?" Fai stopped his obsessive straightening. A slight awkwardness tinged the air again.

"Oh anything you want to do is fine, Kuro-pon." Fai sang.

"Hmph." Kurogane grunted. "Do you drink?" He asked noncommittally.

"Hai!" Fai smiled, "I love sake!"

"Ja, we'll go hit some bars then."

"All right." Fai agreed, walking to the door. Kurogane followed.

"Should... I come pick you up?" Kurogane mumbled. Heat was rising unbidden to his face, but he tried to force it down. Fai stopped walking suddenly and Kurogane stumbled, trying not to collide with him.

"No, I'll- just walk to your house okay?" Fai said in a high voice. Kurogane stared Fai down.

"All right then." Kurogane replied slowly. That was the second time Fai had wormed out of talking about where he lived. Curiosity burned in Kurogane's stomach. Where was Fai's apartment? Fai turned as they stepped out and locked the door to the classroom.

"So," Kurogane continued, "Come to my place around 5:00?" The concept of the "outing" still seemed somewhat ridiculous, and the specification of a time even more so. Fai nodded, and smiled devilishly at Kurogane.

"It's a date then!" He lilted.

"It is NOT a date!" Kurogane roared. Fai laughed and pranced away.

"It's a figure of speech, Kuro-puu!" Fai yelled back from down the hall.

"Get back here you damn blond!" Kurogane bellowed, but Fai was already gone. Kurogane muttered mutinously under his breath. He then sighed, resigned to his fate. He turned to leave Horitsuba High, but first, he was going to make a little stop at the main office.

Fai wandered down the street towards Kurogane's house. He walked jauntily, but his mind was torturing him. He was excited, but he knew he shouldn't be. His heart was still pounding in his ears, and his instinct told him to stop it. The voice of instinct grew fainter and fainter, and with one final whisper of "You'll regret it", he was at Kurogane's gate, the large house looming in front of him. Fai gazed with awe at the elegant property, the garden was beginning to bloom, and the familiar flow and clunk of the bamboo fountain echoed in the calm spring air. Before he ventured through the gate, he fiddled with his outfit. He was wearing tight black pants, decorated with two thin, leather belts, and a black long sleeve button up shirt. The top two buttons were undone, exposing his collarbone, and the bottom button was also left open, revealing a sliver of pale stomach. A studded black leather collar was wrapped around his long neck, and he wore small, black Italian dress shoes. When he was satisfied, he took a deep breath and pranced through the front gate. He walked quickly along the cobblestone path, watching the brook flow through the garden. He reached the sliding doors, and looked around for a doorbell. When he didn't find one, he shrugged, and yelled,

"Kuro-bun!" There was a slight crash from inside, and then a loud oath. Footsteps pounded towards the door.

"Why the hell don't you ring the doorbell idiot?" Kurogane bellowed from somewhere inside the house.

"I couldn't find one, Kuro-chi!"

"It's at the front gate!"

"Well thats a silly place for it to be!" The grumbling from inside got closer, and the sliding door slammed open.

"Hyuuu!" Fai exclaimed. Kurogane stood at the door, his eyebrow cocked, staring irritably at Fai. He too was dressed in black. Dark pants sheathed his legs, and were topped with a thick, heavily studded black belt. He wore black sleeveless top, showing his toned biceps, and a collar similar to Fai's. His left wrist was covered with a scarlet sweatband, and a matching one was wrapped around his head, his unruly spikes sticking up over it.

"What was that for?" Kurogane asked gruffly.

"You look sexy, Kuro-sama!"

"I don't want to hear that from you." Kurogane snorted. Fai laughed.

"Shall we go?" Fai asked lightly. Kurogane gave a positive grunt, and stepped out, closing the door behind him. He walked towards the left side of the house Fai traipsing along behind him. He turned a corner, and Fai couldn't help but let out another "Hyuu".

"Enough with the "hyuu"-ing already!" Kurogane snapped. Parked along-side the house was a sleek black car. It was a small sports car, smooth and aerodynamic, with sharp facet accents along the doors and bumper. It had flip up headlights in the front and a large spoiler adorning the back. It was clean and shiny, giving the impression of an obsessively polished vehicle.

"Wah, is that a foreign car, Kuro-chi?" Fai mused. Kurogane nodded, a prideful smirk forming on his face. He walked over to the passenger door and opened it.

"Come on, get in." He said, jerking his head towards the car. Fai blinked, befuddled, before smiling widely and sauntering towards the car.

"Hyuu, who knew Kuro-sama was such a gentlemen?" He teased. Kurogane jumped back a little.

"Wha-!" He spluttered, "You- just- get in the damn car!" Fai laughed and slid into the passenger seat, and the second Fai's foot slipped in the door, Kurogane fiercely slammed it shut, with a loud cry of, "dumbass!". Fai snickered and examined the interior. The upholstery was a soft, genuine leather, in a shiny black, with walnut detail on the steering wheel and dashboard. Kurogane was still muttering as he plopped into the driver's seat. He shoved the key into the ignition, turning it. The engine roared to life. Kurogane revved the engine, flicked the car into gear, and pulled out onto the road. They were off, flying towards the city in Kurogane's expensive car. Somehow, despite the abruptness of the situation, it felt strangely natural. The awkwardness of the outing had flown out the window as Fai stuck his head out. Kurogane yelled and threatened Fai as the blond fiddled with the stereo, and pushed all the buttons he could reach. Kurogane's chair suddenly launched forward, and he smacked his head on the steering wheel. He bellowed at Fai, calling him an wide array of colorful names, while Fai laughed and insisted Kurogane keep his eyes on the road. As they progressed, the neighborhoods disappeared, and the buildings grew taller. Neon lights flashed from the sides of buildings, and large screens displayed advertisements and news clips. Fai stared in awe at the jungle of cement and tall skyscrapers. Kurogane raised his eyebrow.

"Have you never been in a big city before?" He asked.

"Nope, just little towns, Kuro-tan."

"Hm." Kurogane turned right onto another street, and suddenly Fai was assailed by blinding multicolored lights. Bright signs flashed in every color over dingy buildings, and groups of people were seen staggering down the walkway. Kurogane pulled into a small parking lot at the end of the bright street.

"We walk from here." Kurogane said. Fai nodded eagerly and stepped out of the car. Kurogane clicked a button and the lights flashed as the car locked. They wandered down the rainbow colored street, the hum of conversation and snatches of music washing over their ears.

"Which one do you want to go in, Kuro-sama?" Fai asked.

"Doesn't matter." Kurogane grunted.

"Hmmm..." Fai looked around. His eyes fell on a particularly flashy bar, with loud music streaming out the doors.

"Ne, that's a dance club!" Fai pointed. Kurogane followed Fai's gaze.

"Ah." He responded dully. Fai pulled on Kurogane's arm.

"Let's go in that one, Kuro-muu!" Fai insisted.

"All right then." Kurogane grumbled, with a barely audible, "My name is Kurogane." Fai clapped happily, and led Kurogane into the club. Neon lights flashed in their eyes as beams of colors swung around, lighting every corner of the dance floor with roulette streams of light. It was dark off of the dance floor where the lights did not penetrate. Techno music rang in their eardrums, and the loud beat penetrated their chests. The very ground was vibrating under their feet, as scattered bodies twisted and bounced to the music. Kurogane tapped Fai on the shoulder and jerked his thumb to the side. A bar was nestled against the wall, off of the dance floor, and was lit with a soft yellow light. They headed towards it and sat down on the tall stools. Kurogane shouted at the barman for two drinks, and a skinny man with flaming red hair done up in a mohawk nodded at them, filling two glasses and sliding them deftly down the long bar. Kurogane grabbed his glass and took a swig. Fai followed suit, leaning against the edge of the bar, and tapped his foot to the music. He watched the people dancing out on the floor for awhile, then drained his glass in one gulp, and threw a playful glance at Kurogane.

"Let's go dance, Kuro-sama." He said. Kurogane returned this statement with a skeptical look.

"I don't dance." He said shortly. Fai pouted.

"Aw, come on, Kuro-chi." He whined.

"Not a chance." Kurogane answered irritably.

"Oh fine." Fai shrugged, "But I'm going to dance." Fai pushed off of the bar, gave Kurogane a sly wink, and strode out onto the dance floor. He weaved through the mass of turning bodies, to the center of the floor. Fai closed his eyes, shutting out everything but the music and the lights that burned past his eyelids. The beat penetrated his body, shocking his chest, until it pounded in his heart, the beats blending together. The music washed over his senses, and when the euphoria reached its height, he started dancing. A numbness spread to the tips of his fingers, and suddenly, nothing else existed, nothing else mattered. There was only the music and his own moving body. The lights flashed around him, shining sideways, up, down, as the beat possessed him, spinning him around. There was nowhere to go, he was lost in his own world, he would just keep dancing until he couldn't anymore. This was his escape. Across the room, a pair of red eyes were fixed on the dancing body. Kurogane hadn't looked away from Fai since the wanton wink. Kurogane clutched his glass tightly, and watched Fai dance. There was a buzz in the back of his head and behind his eyes, and Kurogane was convinced it was the alcohol that kept his gaze riveted on Fai. He watched Fai swing his hips around, the black pants hugging every curve of Fai's slender legs. Fai lifted his arms up, turning, and Kurogane felt a shock in his chest, and heat spread in his lower body at the glimpse of Fai's creamy skin. A small, nagging feeling told Kurogane to look away, but Kurogane banished it with another shot of sake. The lights flashed over Fai's lithe body, throwing shadows and putting every angle and curve of Fai's figure into stark relief. A sheen of sweat had formed on Fai''s skin as he danced, still lost in his own ecstasy. Kurogane's sharp eyes caught every move, every turn of Fai's hips and every flick of his head. Then Kurogane's eyes noticed something else. A man was pushing through the crowd, heading directly towards where Fai was dancing, a hungry gleam in his eyes, as he stared at Fai. A sudden rage boiled in Kurogane's chest. The man drew closer to Fai, and Kurogane clenched his hand on his glass until it cracked, anger erupting and flowing through his body like lava. The man extended his hand, which was shaking with anticipation, towards Fai's waist. Kurogane slammed his shot glass on the counter, and in a blur of movement, was in the middle of the dance floor. He grabbed the man's wrist just before it touched Fai's body, and wrenched it around violently. A crack split through the music and the man cried out in pain and collapsed onto his knees, his arm twisted oddly behind his back. Fai stopped dancing and turned around at the cry. His eyes widened in shock as he saw Kurogane clasping another man's wrist, pushing him viciously onto the ground. Kurogane's face was contorted in pure rage. Kurogane glowered savagely down at the man whimpering on the ground.

"Don't touch him." Kurogane snarled. The man gave another tortured cry as Kurogane shoved the man away, and he lay on his side, clutching his wrist.

"Kuro-sama?" Fai whispered. Kurogane turned to glare at Fai, and Fai cowered at the cold fury in Kurogane's eyes. Kurogane grabbed Fai's wrist and stormed out of the club, yanking Fai behind him. Kurogane stalked down the street, still grasping tightly to Fai's wrist.

"Kuro-...wha-" Fai stuttered.

"Just shut up." Kurogane growled forcibly. Fai closed his mouth. Kurogane drug Fai into a dark side alley that was empty of people. He finally stopped walking and stared furiously at the brick wall, taking deep, rumbling breaths. The hand around Fai's wrist tightened, and Fai flinched.

"Ah-! That hurts, Kuro-sama!" Fai yelped. Kurogane's eyes widened, and he quickly released Fai's wrist, looking slightly apologetic. Fai rubbed his wrist, watching Kurogane cautiously.

"Kuro-"

"What the hell were you thinking?" Kurogane suddenly bellowed, and Fai took a step back, towards the opposite wall.

"Wha-"

"Throwing your ass around like that, completely oblivious to whatever was happening around you! He was about to grab you, and you didn't even notice!" Kurogane slammed a hand onto the wall at the side of Fai's head. Fai opened his mouth in shock, he tried to say something, but the words stuck in his throat.

"What if he had grabbed you? Who knows what the sicko would have done to you! Do you not even care what happens to you?" Kurogane shouted. Fai recoiled slightly, and then a half-smile appeared on his face.

"But he didn't, did he? Cause Kuro-tan saved me. You were cool, Kuro-sama." Fai said blandly. Kurogane scowled.

"And if I wasn't there?"

"Then he would have got me, wouldn't he?"

"And you would just lie down and accept that?" Kurogane whispered savagely. Fai said nothing, and dropped his gaze, staring at the ground, still smiling vapidly. Kurogane narrowed his eyes, and pushed off of the wall.

"Tch." Kurogane folded his arms and looked away from Fai. Silence fell between them, broken only by the constant hum of conversation from out in the street. Even through Kurogane had backed off, Fai still felt as though he was pinned to the cold wall of the alley. Kurogane's eyes had pierced straight to his soul, pinning him to the wall like daggers through his flesh. Kurogane let out a short sigh, cutting through the quiet tension.

"I need some more alcohol." He said, rubbing his forehead. "Come on let's go" He added to Fai. Fai looked up in surprise.

"But-" He started.

"We're still out aren't we? Let's hit a _different_ bar." Kurogane stated sharply. Fai nodded slowly, his banal smile growing sad.

"You still... want to take me?" Fai asked hesitantly. Kurogane snorted

"I'll take you however the hell you are. I took you all the way out here didn't I? I'm not gonna just ditch you, now let's go." Kurogane grabbed Fai again, but instead of fiercely by the wrist, Kurogane took him by the hand. He walked off, and Fai followed along behind him, astounded. Kurogane's grip was gentle, but firm, broking no argument, but what Fai noticed most was that Kurogane's hand was warm. Fai stared at their connected hands, and, slowly, the sadness in his smile evaporated, and became a small, gentle smile. They stepped back out onto the lit street, and Kurogane pulled Fai towards a small bar at the end of the street. It was small, but nice looking, and much lower lighted. A small green sign off to the side read : "Clover".

"We'll go in there." Kurogane said. They walked towards the bar and entered through the latticed doors. The inside was small and cozy, with round tables across a small room leading to a stage where a piano sat, along with a microphone. The cozy bar was full of people, mostly older, and wearing nicer clothes. Loose groups of people were seated around the tables, talking and looking expectantly at the empty stage. Off the the side there was a simple bar and a thin, pretty woman with thick, light hair up in a ponytail stood behind it. She smiled and waved at Kurogane and Fai, and they walked to the bar and sat down.

"What can I get you two?" The bar-lady asked.

"Whiskey." Kurogane grunted.

"Your favorite cocktail, please." Fai said kindly.

"Coming right up." She said. She bustled around behind the counter, clinking glasses and mixing the drinks. She poured them both expertly, and slid them across the bar to Kurogane and Fai.

"Here you are, whiskey and the club special, Clover Cocktail."

"Thank you so much, umm..." Fai smiled.

"Caldina. No problem, hun. You two look a little out of place in this jazz bar with those clothes, what brings you to this bar?" The bar-lady asked. Fai laughed nervously, and Kurogane grunted irritably.

"Well Caldina-san, we were hitting other bars, and they got a little too loud, so we came in search of something more... tame." Fai said. Kurogane snorted, and Caldina shot him a strange look.

"Well you two are in luck, though I must say" Caldina said, " she's singing tonight."

"She?"

"Oruha-san, she sings at this bar a lot, she's super famous around here, oh, here she comes." Caldina pointed to the stage. The lights dimmed, a spotlight brightening the stage, and a very pretty woman with long, curly black hair and a elaborately laced, black, strapless dress stepped onto the stage in front of the microphone. The crowd murmured excitedly as a man sat at the piano and started playing gently in the background. Then the woman started to sing.

_Across time, to the city of wind, take me away_

_Grant the dream of my white flower_

"Wahh... such a lovely voice!" Fai exclaimed. Kurogane grunted and closed his eyes. Fai also closed his eyes, and listened to the soothing music.

_With your gentle fingers, take me by the hand and lead me_

_To that far-off city, to be by your side_

_On this afternoon, though their voices could not sing clearly _

_The two awake to become one_

_and learn for the first time the meaning of happiness_

_Take me away..._

The piano once again took over the air. Kurogane opened his eyes and stared into the distance.

"Thats stupid." He stated. Fai looked over curiously.

"If you want to go somewhere, go by yourself, don't ask others for help."

"That's so like you, Kuro-chan." Fai smiled.

_With a painful song_

_That echoes in all their hearts_

_They sleep in the night, not knowing the meaning of happiness _

"But..." Fai continued, the background choir taking the cadence, "How should I put it? I've been waiting for a long time too, for someone to take me away and stay by my side." Kurogane stared at Fai, taking in his light,sad, expression. The chorus began its crescendo, and Kurogane still continued to watch Fai closely. Fai's face held a far-off, almost reminiscent look, as he listened to the song, the slight smile painted on his face. Now more than ever, Kurogane noticed the weight of sadness in those light azure eyes. They were the color of the sky, but held the weight of the sea. His heart swelled along with the song, with an emotion Kurogane could not yet comprehend.

_Take me far away to dream that I still have not seen_

_We'll go together... to the city of wind_

The piano once again filled the bar with its music, and the final note rang out, echoing in a crystal-like ring. Kurogane finally took his eyes off of Fai, sighing slightly.

"It's getting late" he said "are you ready to go?" Fai nodded and stood up. He smiled at Caldina.

"Thank you so much, Caldina-san, for the drinks and the beautiful song." Caldina smiled in return.

"You're welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed yourselves, I'll tell Oruha-san you liked her song."

"Please do."

"Good-bye, gentlemen! Come again!" Caldina waved after him. Fai waved back and Kurogane nodded. The walk back across the strip was completely silent. Kurogane walked quickly, and Fai followed. When they reached the car, Kurogane once again opened the door for Fai. No teasing remarks followed, and Kurogane slid into the driver's seat. The engine roared to life, and Kurogane pulled out into the road and began the drive home. Fai stared quietly out the window, and Kurogane could tell he was deep in thought. Fai's vision focused on the buildings around him and he started. Something was wrong.

"Ne, Kuro-chi? Aren't we going to your house?" Fai asked. Kurogane shook his head.

"Nope, I'm dropping you off at yours." He said. Fai sat up in his seat, jumping upright like a startled cat.

"Wha-? No! You don't need to do that! How did you get the address anyway?" Fai whined. Kurogane glanced over. Fai was tense and alert, and a glimmer of fear shone in his eyes.

"I went to the Main Office before I went home, and promised Yuuko my best bottle of sake in exchange for your address." Kurogane stated. He reached in-between the seats and pulled out a small sheet of paper, waving it in Fai's face. Fai's eyes widened.

"Wh- why would you do that? No, Kuro-sama, just drop me off here, I'll walk from here, ne?" Fai cried out. He made a swipe for the paper, but Kurogane jerked it away.

"No way. It's your fault for making me curious, you're the one who jumped around the subject of where you live. I just took the initiative. Why does it matter, anyway?" Fai's hand was still extended, and he clenched it into a tight fist. When he did not answer, Kurogane looked at the piece of paper.

"Hmmm, should be just around here." He turned the corner onto the next street, and pulled to the side of the road. He stopped, and stared transfixed at the neighborhood that lay before him. Dark, rickety buildings lay in front of him, some ten stories tall. The streets were cluttered with garbage and broken glass, the area was no more than a small alley. Cigarettes were scattered across the ground, and Kurogane caught the glint of bullet casings. The side of one of the buildings had been tagged multiple times, with scarcely an inch of brick still visible under the spray paint. On the other side of the alley, a dark red smear was stained into the asphalt. A loud speaker boomed out of the cracked windows, and the dark shadow of a man stared out. Kurogane looked over at Fai, who's head was hung. He did not look at Kurogane, but turned and opened the door, stepping out quickly.

"Thanks for tonight, Kuro-sama." He said and slammed the car door. Fai walked quickly across the littered ground, reached a door, and fumbling with keys opened the door and stepped inside. Kurogane watched as a light turned on in a room on the top floor of the building. He scowled at the shadow of Fai, when a movement caught his eye. He glanced to his left, and saw a man tottering out of one of the buildings, watching Kurogane and his expensive car intently. Kurogane glared at the figure, before throwing his car in reverse, and speeding out of the unseemly neighborhood. Kurogane took one last glance at the apartments.

"That dumbass." Kurogane growled, pressing on the gas, his car roaring down the dark, night road.

**~END~**

**DID YOU LOVE IT? DID YOU HATE IT? LET ME KNOW! REVIEW PLEASE! If you hadn't noticed by know, I like to make little parallels with the original story, many of these moments I feel are essential in the constructing of Kurogane and Fai's relationship, so I sneak them in here with my own little twist. :3 There is more to come, but I'm afraid you'll have to be patient... again. gomenasai... ごめんなさい。。。**

**Love you all!  
**


	8. April: Blossom

こんにちわ、みんなさん。。。 おひしぶりですね。。。 テヘ。 **Hello everyone... long time no see... tehe. :3 I finally got the next chapter up! YAY! Whew... It has been a long last few months, believe me... I am super sorry for the delay, especially to those of you who were so kind to wait for it, through story alert or constant looking. I want to give another BIG thank you to those who reviewed and/or favorited! I LOVE YOU! You guys are the ones who encourage me to keep going. Also all of you that added me on Author Alert just make me all tickly inside :) I replied with big thanks to all of you that I could. Anyway, here you are... FINALLY! I hope you enjoy it!**

A few Japanese words (which I probably already explained, but just in case)

**Ah**- (ああ) affirmative phrase, but a slightly rude and casual one, akin to "yeah"  
**Oi**- (おい) Rude and pushy way to say "hey"  
**Ja**- (じゃ) "Then" or "well then" very casual  
**Ojamashimasu**- (おじゃまします) Phrase used when you enter someones house, literally means "I will intrude" or "let me intrude"  
**Arigatou**- (ありがとう) "Thank you", casual, -gozaimasu is added to end to make it more polite, if you add 'domo' to the beginning, even more so.  
**Gomen ne**- (ごめんね) "Sorry", also relatively casual (as a side note, Fai uses "Ne" a lot, in the manga and anime as well, I'm not making it up lol, and it is a rather feminine phrase. how's _that_ for proof? :P)

**Short culture note:**  
Hanami (はなみ) or (花見) in kanji, literally means flower viewing. Hanami is the name for the season when the sakura (cherry blossom) trees are blooming, from the beginning-ish of April to the middle. The season can last anywhere from 1 week to 3 weeks, depending on the weather. During this time, it is _very_ common for people to go on picnics and have bentos (Japanese lunch boxes), with much singing, gathering, merry-making, and very often, drinking... haha. There are both pink and white sakura trees, but mostly pink. Often, white sakura trees and peach blossoms (which bloom at a different time) are mixed up.

Remember! Feel free to ask me anything!

**Anime/Manga: **Tsubasa reservoir chronicles, based on CLAMP's omake: Horitsuba  
**Couples:** KURO-FAI, hints of Syao-Saku and Dou-Wata ^3^  
**Rating: **T (mostly for later chapters)  
**Warnings: **YAOI! (boy on boy love) no like, turn back now! you have been warned. Swearing, and violence in later chapters  
**Disclaimer:** I love CLAMP, but i do not channel their genius, all characters belong to CLAMP. Story is for fan-purposes only.

**Chapter 7- April: Blossom **

Kurogane trundled through his house, wandering through the halls lit by the early morning dawn. He slid open the door to the kitchen, and made his way over to the coffee maker. He flipped it on, adding the water and crushed beans. As it heated the water, Kurogane leaned against the counter.

"I wonder what that guy's doing right now." He sighed to himself. Exactly one week and one day had passed since the ill-fated "date" with Fai, and the past week of school had been pure torture for Kurogane. When he and Fai had ran into each other the following Monday, they both stopped abruptly in the hallway, standing about a meter away from each other. For a moment, they merely looked at each other. Kurogane opened his mouth to say something, but Fai closed his eyes, smiled brightly, and interrupted with,

"Ohayo, Kuro-sensei." Then quickly walked past Kurogane, not looking at him. Kurogane reached out his hand after Fai, stopped, balled it into a fist, and shoved his hand into his pocket, walking the other direction. The rest of the week was filled with encounters like this. There were no sneak attacks, no pranks, no teasing or haggling from Fai. At first, Kurogane had dismissed it with,

"Tch, if thats how he wants to be, fine. Less trouble for me." But as the week wore on, Kurogane began to be more and more irritated by Fai's aloof manner, and the short exchanges of "Hello, Kuro-sensei" that Fai instigated with an ever so bright smile, never quite meeting Kurogane's eyes. Fai's joyful facade was more irritating and hurtful to Kurogane than if the blond had yelled at him. Instead, Kurogane was left without the constant company of the blond, to ponder the "date". The coffee maker beeped, bringing Kurogane back to reality. He growled as he poured the coffee into his mug.

"I'm worrying about it again... pathetic." He contemplated quietly over his coffee for a moment, before a sound floated into the kitchen.

_'Chink chink'_ Kurogane twitched at the noise. He listened carefully for a moment, hearing no other sound.

"Must be my imagination." He grunted.

_'Chink chink'_ It came again, this time followed by the sound of scraping. Kurogane raised one eyebrow. It was silent again for a short moment, then the sound came again. Kurogane poked his head out of his kitchen. When the sound came again, he tried to figure out where it was coming from.

"Outside?" He padded quietly down the hall, senses alert. The scraping sound returned, and this time Kurogane could hear small grunts and shuffling. Kurogane stopped, leaning against the wall, and peered out the side window. He saw nothing, and then there was a flash of golden yellow.

"Ah..." Kurogane sighed, bringing his hand up to rub his temples.

"I'm not ready to deal with this right now... I'll have to be careful... I guess." He mumbled. He took a deep breath and then stomped down the rest of the hall. He threw the door open, sliding it to the left with a bang.

"Oi! What the hell are you doing?" He snapped. Fai looked up from his place on the ground. He was wearing torn, old blue jeans and a white T-shirt. There was dirt all over his clothes and a smear on his cheek. He smiled widely.

"Well, the rose you gave me finally started to die, so I'm planting it! That way it will grow into a rosebush!"

"So?"

"So what, Kuro-pi?"

"So why are you planting it on _my_ property?" Kurogane snarled. Fai laughed airily. He picked up a small shovel, and flicked it, causing a chunk of dirt to fly at Kurogane. Kurogane dodged it.

"Well, for a couple reasons, Kuro-chi, since you gave me the rose, it only seemed appropriate, also it would be a nice addition to your little garden, and it wouldn't survive well on _my_ property, you can understand _that_ right?" Fai said the last statement with a touch of disdain, and stabbed at the ground with his shovel, still smiling brightly. Kurogane tensed at the gently over-laced poison in Fai's voice. His eyes narrowed, and he chose to say nothing. Fai turned back to the ground and kept digging. He looked cheerful enough, but he was hacking viciously at the soil, causing Kurogane to twitch slightly each time the shovel struck the ground. Kurogane sighed.

"You know..." He paused, and when Fai did not look up, he growled softly. Fai continued to tear at the ground. The sound of metal on the breaking soil continued, slashing through the otherwise dense silence. Kurogane growled again in his throat.

"Oi." He said sharply.

"Hmmm?" Fai replied lightly, still not turning around.

"I'm not going to apologize, if that's what you are looking for." Kurogane stated shortly.

"Well you should." Fai sang, taking another stab at the torn apart ground.

"Why should I?"

"Because..." Fai finally stopped hacking at the dismembered soil, and clenched the small garden shovel tightly. "Because it was none of your business, Kuro-puu." Fai finished. Kurogane's eyes narrowed scrutinizing Fai.

"I don't understand your motives or logic, and I suppose I never will," Kurogane said in a low voice, "but you could open up a little and let me in." Fai turned a little bit, keeping his back towards Kurogane, and pawed at the ground with his hand, evening out the hole in the dirt.

"Oh I don't think I could do that, Kuro-mi." Fai said slowly. Heat rose in Kurogane's chest. He clenched his fists and resisted the urge to grab Fai by his collar and shake him violently. That damn glass wall was up again. Kurogane was dying to shatter it, and expose Fai's true emotions. But at the moment, Kurogane was lost, lost in Fai's House of Mirrors. What looked like a path, suddenly became a reflected wall. Fai's appearance would flash in front of Kurogane, only to disappear when Kurogane got close. Fake. It was all fake. All of the paths, all of the images, all of the walls. Kurogane watched Fai in silence, scowling at the hunched form of the blond, still digging in the dirt. Fai leaned over to pick something up. It was the rose. It certainly had started to die. The once full and beautiful silver-white petals had withered to a dull gray, and the stem and leaved were shriveled and brittle. The flower drooped, like a child hanging its head in shame. Kurogane was impressed that the rose had lasted this long. Once the rose was taken from its roots and clipped from the soil, two weeks was much to ask for. Yet this rose had lasted over a month. All because of Fai's care.

_'How ironic'_ Thought Kurogane with a snort. This rose had wilted, and so had their ambiguous relationship. Perhaps it was never meant to last. Fake smiles and carefully crafted conversations were no substitute. Artificial ingredients could only sustain them for so long. Fai stood up and brushed off his pants.

"Well that should do it Kuro-sama." He said. Kurogane glanced at the ground. The rose was gone, and there was a small mound of soil.

"Huh? Where's the rose?" He asked gruffly.

"Don't you know, Kuro-chi? You don't plant a wilted rose upright, you bury the sprig completely in the ground, and it will grow again as a rosebush." Kurogane's eyes widened slightly as he stared at the patch of soil.

"Flowers can do that?"

"Well, not all flowers, most roses reproduce that way, however."

"Hm..." Kurogane stared contemplatively at the place where the rosebush would supposedly start to grow. Fai smiled softly at where he had planted the rose, glanced at Kurogane, and swiftly turned away.

"Well, that should be it, Kuro-sama, the rose should bloom somewhere around July, as long as it doesn't get flooded or gets too dry." He said brightly. Kurogane looked up quickly.

"A-ah..."

"Goodbye Kuro-sama." Fai said, beginning to walk away.

"Wait." Kurogane suddenly said. He looked over at Fai, who had stopped walking. Kurogane clenched his fists.

"What is it, Kuro-muu? Going to apologize?" Fai asked sardonically.

"No I'm not."

"Then what?"

"I..." Kurogane stopped , clenching his fists ever tighter. He glared at Fai's back. Something had to be done. He couldn't just let Fai leave like this.

"Lets... go somewhere." Kurogane finally grunted. His back turned from Kurogane, a crack in Fai's expression appeared. His eyes widened and his bright smile faded.

"Huh?" Fai asked, taking care not to let the emotion he was feeling seep into his voice. Kurogane snarled, attempting to hide his embarrassment.

"You don't have to leave like that, it's Sunday, anyway, lets go... somewhere... together." He finally grunted out. Fai did not dare turn around. He did not want to see Kurogane's face. He did not want Kurogane to see his face. He forced out a laugh.

"What's this, Kuro-chan? Are you asking me on a date?" Kurogane opened his mouth to retort, but shut it quickly.

"Sure... call it that if you want." Kurogane snorted. Fai's breath caught in his throat. His eyes closed and he bit his lip. When he didn't say anything, Kurogane stepped closer.

"Oi." He said quietly. Fai took a long, deep breath, and finally turned around smiling.

"It's okay, Kuro-chi, you don't have to do that... besides, I can't go anywhere looking like this." Fai gestured towards his dirt covered and torn clothes. Kurogane glared at Fai.

"Why do you keep running from me?"

"I'm not running, Kuro-puu."

"Then what is with all the excuses?"

"I'm not really making any excuses Kuro-pi. Its a fact. You can't take me anywhere like this."

"I said it before, didn't I? I'll take you however the hell you are. But, since you don't want to go in those clothes, and I don't exactly want to look like I'm dragging around a grungy blond rat, you can borrow some clothes I have, then we don't have to go to your apartment either." Kurogane turned around and faced his house, leaving a wide-eyed Fai in the background.

"Is... Is it okay?" Fai said slowly.

"Of course it's okay, idiot. Now come on." Kurogane grunted, walking towards the front door. Fai closed his eyes and bit his lip again, hesitating.

"Hurry up." Kurogane barked from the door. Fai held his breath for a long moment, took one step forward, and walked up to the door, putting on the best smile he could manage.

"Ja, Ojamashimasu." He said, stepping lightly inside.

"Ah." Kurogane replied. Fai took his shoes off and stepped into the hall as Kurogane shut the door. Fai watched Kurogane with a constant smile, which Kurogane returned with a skeptical look.

"Come on." Kurogane said calmly, walking in front of Fai. Fai followed him down the hall quietly.

"You can take a quick shower if you want, to wash the dirt off." Kurogane said, glancing back at Fai.

"Sure Kuro-chi, sounds good." Fai replied happily. Kurogane narrowed his eyes slightly. Then he turned around quickly.

"Idiot." He murmured.

"Hmm?"

"Nothing." They drew to the end of the hall, towards a door, which Kurogane opened, holding it open for Fai, who stepped in.

"Wah, is this your bedroom?" Fai asked. It was a fairly large room, with a single window opposite them, and a large dresser in the same corner. To their left there was a king-size bed, neatly made with a bold red comforter and black pillows. Beside it was a small nightstand with a lamp and a simple alarm clock.

"Yeah. Wait a sec while I get you some clothes." Kurogane grunted. Fai looked curiously around the room as Kurogane padded over to his dresser.

"Heh... it's kind of... empty." Fai said with a laugh.

"Tch. Shut up." Kurogane growled throwing open a drawer. He fished through it for a moment.

"Here." Kurogane grunted, tossing a bundle of clothes towards Fai. Fai caught them gently. He unfolded the bundle and found a small pair of brand-new blue jeans, a light blue, airy scarf, and a soft, short sleeve, white v-neck shirt.

"These..." Fai said slowly.

"That Witch gave them to me awhile back, figures she'd give me clothes that didn't fit, not to mention they aren't my style. But I kept them anyway, so you can have them." Kurogane shrugged.

"A- Arigatou, Kuro-sama." Fai finally said with a smile. Kurogane merely grunted in reply. He straightened up.

"Come on, the shower is this way." He jerked his head to the door and started walking. Fai followed, holding the new clothes carefully. The bathroom was just to the left of Kurogane's bedroom. Kurogane got into a side closet and tossed a towel at Fai. Fai caught it. It was white and very soft.

"Well, go ahead." Kurogane grunted, "I'll wait, but not for long, so make it quick." He turned around and walked out.

"Hai!" Fai said with a small wave. He shut the bathroom door and locked it. He turned to the mirror above the counter, and stared quietly at his reflection for a long while, contemplating. Finally, he gave a soft smile, and laid his new clothes and towel gently on the counter. He stripped off his dirt covered clothes and stepped into the shower box. He looked around for the soap, and found a single bottle of 3-in-1 gel, and a razor. Fai laughed softly.

"So like Kuro-sama, what a manly bathroom." He said to himself. He twisted the handle and warm water poured out of the shower. He sighed as the soothing hot water cascaded down his body and the steam rose in billows.

"Ahh... It's been such a long time..." He stood there for awhile, letting his body warm up, and then he picked up the bottle of shower gel and flipped open the lid. A spicy, musky amber fragrance wafted into the steamy air. Fai smiled.

"Yup, smells like Kuro-sama." Then he eyed the bottle warily. "But really...Shampoo, conditioner and body wash all in one bottle? Geez, Kuro-pi... I guess this time I'll have to deal with it." He lathered his entire body and his hair, rinsing it off while reveling in the warmth of the water. He enjoyed it for as long as he dared, before reluctantly turning the water off. Fai stepped out of the shower, and grabbed the towel, beginning to dry himself off. He pressed the towel to his face and inhaled. It smelled clean, and fresh, once again reminding him of Kurogane. He exhaled back into the towel, suddenly overcome by a strange feeling that slipped past his barrier, unchecked. A feeling that could only be described as bittersweet. Kurogane's kindness was surprising, in a way, and had caught Fai completely off guard. But it was something Fai, could not, would not accept.  
"I already decided that I wouldn't..." Fai spoke weakly, his voice muffled by the soft cotton of the towel. Over the long days that had passed since their "outing" Fai had realized how close he was to stepping over the line he had made himself.  
_'I don't understand your motives or logic, and I suppose I never will'_ Kurogane's voice rang in Fai's head. _'but you could open up a little and let me in'_  
"Gomen ne, Kuro-sama... but I really can't." He lifted his head up from the towel and looked into the fogged up mirror. There was another face in the mirror. Fai's heart stopped. Another face, identical to his own, was behind him. Fai cried out and flipped around, looking behind him frantically. He scanned the room with his eyes and released the breath he had been holding in his throat. There was another mirror on the door of the shower, one that Kurogane probably used when he shaved. The two mirrors had reflected on each other, creating a double illusion. Fai wrapped the towel around his waist and collapsed against the counter, his hand on his face.

"Mou... Don't scare me like that." Fai groaned, his heart rate slowly returning to normal. He sighed, still leaning wearily against the counter. Suddenly there was a crash and a bang, and Kurogane came bursting through the bathroom door.

"Oi, what happened?" He yelled. Fai jumped up frenziedly and grabbed his towel, which was slipping off, gaping at Kurogane.

"Ano... Kuro-sama?" Fai said uncertainly. Kurogane froze, as the particulars of the present situation registered in his brain. He had just burst in on a half-naked Fai, just out of the shower, who was apparently just fine.

"Uh...ah..." Kurogane stuttered. His eyes traveled automatically over Fai's figure. His body was mostly dry, but his hair was still wet, and small drops of water were sliding down his pale neck. Fai's slender upper body was glistening slightly with the moisture from the shower, and the towel, which Fai was grasping desperately, was hanging dangerously low on his hips. Heat rushed all throughout Kurogane's body, and he tried to regain control of his brain.

"Uh..I...Uh... MY BAD!" Kurogane finally shouted, slamming the door shut and stomping down the hall. Fai stood in the bathroom, his heart again pounding wildly in his throat. As his heart rate once again slowed, Fai sighed, closed his eyes and gave another soft, sad, smile.

"Wah... Kuro-tan is a pervert!" Fai sang, skipping behind Kurogane, now dressed in the clothes Kurogane had given him.

"Am not!" Kurogane retorted loudly, his face burning.

"You even broke the lock on the door! Pervert!"

"Oh shut up! I came in there 'cause I heard you yell, not 'cause I wanted to see you naked... Idiot!" Kurogane thumped down the hall, facing away from Fai. Fai's eyes widened.

"Kuro-sama..." He whispered, surprised. Kurogane stopped walking, sighed, and turned around.

"Anyway... I heard something else... you said, 'it's been such a long time' such a long time since what?" He asked shortly. Fai blinked, silent for a moment, before flashing a teasing smile.

"Eavesdropping, Kuro-chi? You really are a pervert."

"Wha-" Kurogane stuttered, "Don't avoid the question! I just happened to hear it as I was walking by, okay?" He stated hotly. Fai laughed softly and walked past Kurogane.

"Its not that big of a deal, Kuro-sama, it had just been awhile since I've had a hot shower. My apartment doesn't have a shower, so I have to use a nearby public one, and it only has cold water. That's all." He turned his head to face Kurogane, smiling. Kurogane remained silent for a moment.  
"Oi..." He started, "About your apartment..." He trailed off and Fai turned away.

"Hmmm?" Fai mused quietly. Kurogane closed his eyes and sighed roughly.

"First of all... I'm not going to apologize. The reason being, that it is, in fact, my business where you live. You are the one that got me involved by your constant ferreting, not to mention the fact that you know where I live. And after all this time together, how could you _possibly_ think that where and how you lived didn't matter to me?" He barked out this last statement, staring intently at Fai, who did not turn around.

"That said..." Kurogane continued, "I didn't expect it to turn out the way it did, and the results were kind of my fault... But! Most of the fault is yours!" He finished loudly. Fai was quiet, then his frame started shaking, before laughter rang through the hallway.

"What a horrible apology, Kuro-sama!" Fai giggled.

"I said it wasn't an apology!" Kurogane burst out, his face heating up. He stomped past Fai, heading for the front door.

"Come on, let's go!" He snapped, his footsteps shaking the walls. Fai watched him go, still laughing, his eyes off to the side. He looked up at Kurogane's back, staring with a wistful smile.

"Just today... Just one more day with him... Then I'll stop." Fai pleaded with himself. Kurogane turned around sharply.

"Did you say something?" He barked. Fai shook his head.

"Nope, nothing, Kuro-pi..." He smiled, starting down the hall.

"Hmph. Then let's get out of here." Kurogane opened the front door, sliding it aside, and once again waiting for Fai. Fai stepped through the door, looking past Kurogane.

"Just today..." He whispered. Kurogane watched Fai carefully. He caught the whisper as Fai slid past him, and narrowed his eyes, suspicious. He closed the door and locked it, before turning to Fai.

"I thought we'd go for a walk, that good with you?" He asked casually. Fai nodded.

"Ja, lets go to the park and see the sakura blossoms, it's hanami season after all."

"Sounds good, the park is really close if we cut through the neighborhood." Kurogane walked through the gate and Fai followed. The sun had risen, and was shining gently down onto the ground. The sky was bright blue, dotted with a few puffs of small, fluffy clouds. It was cool, but not overly so, and a slight breeze drifted through the air. Fai closed his eyes.

"Wah, nice weather." He sighed.

"Ah."

"It's hard to believe it's already April."

"Ah."

"Sakura-chan and the others are second years now."

"Ah."

"You need to add some new words to your vocabulary."

"Ah- wha- shut up, idiot!"

"Oh, so you were kind of listening!" Fai laughed as Kurogane snarled, embarrassed.

"Tch. Of course I was listening."

"Speaking of which, you are still training Syaoran in Kendo, right? How is that going?"

"Yeah. Well, it's coming, He has good speed and pretty good focus, but he has some vision issues, and still has a long way to go."

"So in other words, he's doing really well."

"Tch."

"He also joined the soccer team, didn't he? I've seen him practice, and he's really good."

"Yeah. He's got a a lot of strength in his legs, and he's a natural kicker."

"Hmm..." The conversation dwindled into silence as they walked along the rows of houses. The neighborhood faded away, and turned into the entrance of the park.

"Wah, how pretty!" Fai exclaimed. The park was wide and open, dotted with scores of sakura trees, all in full bloom. The grass was green and lush, and a small river ran through the center of the park, bubbling happily. Pink and white sakura petals were drifting through the air, and there were groups of people on blankets sitting under the trees.

"Geez there are a lot of people here today." Kurogane observed sullenly.

"Of course there are, Kuro-chan, it's hanami! And this is such a gorgeous park, too."

"Have you never been here before?" Kurogane asked, eyebrow raised.

"Nope. As you can probably tell, there are a lot of places in this city I haven't been." They walked past the first few groups of people who were sitting under the trees, eating out of large bento boxes.

"Is there a reason for that?" Kurogane asked, his voice low.

"Well, I guess you could say there's a reason." Fai lilted. "Ah, look, It's Sakura-chan and the others!" He pointed. Kurogane sighed irritably.

"Again..." He followed Fai's finger, and saw a large group underneath a tree. Sakura, Syaoran, Tomoyo, Himawari, Watanuki, and Doumeki, were all sitting on a massive blanket, and Tomoyo was holding a device with a microphone attached. She handed it to Sakura, who blushed and clenched her fists in her lap. Himawari and Tomoyo smiled and motioned for her to stand up. She did so, blushing and fidgeting shyly. Syaoran nodded at her, and Watanuki clapped, taking a side glare at Doumeki, who was chewing something. Sakura pushed a few buttons on the device, and music floated into the air.

"I see, it's a karaoke machine!" Fai said. He and Kurogane stopped walking, so they could listen. The song intro faded out, and Sakura began singing.

_I'm a dreamer, a hidden power  
My world  
Is built with dreams, love, and anxiety  
But things that I can't even imagine must be hiding there_

Like trees that face the sky  
I'm looking straight at you

"Wah, how sweet." Fai sighed gently. "She really is so cute." Kurogane gave a small, affirmative grunt in reply. They watched the group under the tree as Sakura continued to sing. Syaoran leaned back on the tree, and watched Sakura with a soft smile.

_I want to find it, I want to fulfill it  
I believe, and just by that  
There's nothing that I can't overcome  
As if singing, like a miracle  
My thoughts are changing everything  
Surely, surely, enough so to surprise you _

The song ended, and Sakura smiled bashfully as everyone clapped. All of the sudden, Doumeki leaned towards Watanuki, and plopped his head on Watanuki's lap, laying comfortably on the blanket. Watanuki immediately proceeded to wave his arms wildly, his face glowing a bright red.

"Oh my." Fai laughed. Tomoyo took the karaoke machine and stood up. Music came out again and Tomoyo began to sing. Her voice flowed out like water, ringing in a sweet tone.

_Sunshine dances between the clouds and pours into the plains  
The season has just begun_

I run up to the voice of my friend  
And there, as I turn to her, is always her smiling face  
Where the brightest sun always shines

As I walk in the street in the freezing winter  
You encourage me naturally  
And helped me so many times

Like you, just like you, I want to be someone who can give courage to others

"How beautiful, as expected of the choir's pride and joy." Fai smiled. Kurogane nodded. As Tomoyo continued to sing, Watanuki stopped his flailing and relaxed slightly, as his arms lowered slowly, before he placed one hand on the ground, and the other on the top of Doumeki's head. Doumeki smirked, and Watanuki glared at him irritably, his cheeks still dusted red. Fai chuckled lightly at the spectacle.

"Let's go, Kuro-sama, it would probably be best not to bother them right now, ne?"

"Ah." Kurogane nodded. "Just a little further ahead is a hill that is sort of hidden, so there shouldn't be people there."

"Heh..." They wandered through the park, Fai following as Kurogane led him between two trees to the right, and Fai saw an overgrown path, leading up a hill.

"Wah, you're right, it's a hidden path! You can't see it at all from the main path."

"Ah. I found it when I was a kid, after my parents dies, and I don't know anybody else who knows about it." They walked up it, Fai directly behind Kurogane. The path opened up, and a huge, gorgeous sakura tree loomed up in front of them. There were hundreds of blossoms on the massive tree, and the breeze blew a rainfall of blush-colored petals on to the ground. Fai's eyes opened wide at the spectacular scenery. He was at a loss for words, gaping at the grand tree and the soft pink petals floating through the air. Kurogane watched Fai as he wandered up to the tree, innocent wonder spread out on his face. Fai walked up to the foot of the tree, his back toward Kurogane as he gazed up at the vast branches dotted with blossoms. For a moment, only the soft sound of the breeze rustling the flowers could be heard. The voices of the other groups had faded away, leaving the two of them completely secluded.

"Kuro-sama..." Fai whispered.

"Hm?" He responded. Fai turned around, and Kurogane's heart skipped a beat. On Fai's face was the softest, most angelic smile Kurogane had ever seen.

"Thank you, for sharing this place with me." Fai said quietly. For a moment, Kurogane saw a lightness in Fai's eyes that finally matched the sky. Something rose up within Kurogane. He walked towards Fai, propelled forward by emotion. Something burned within the depths of his heart. A nameless desire. The sakura petals floated gently in the air, as Fai returned his gaze to the tree. A stray petal drifted down, and caught in Fai's hair. Kurogane lifted his hand and gently removed the petal from the golden locks. Blue eyes slid to look at Kurogane, a soft look of surprise in them. Kurogane then reached up and cupped Fai's face. Fai's eyes widened, and a blush, matching the the color of the petals, bloomed on his cheeks. Kurogane moved closer, and Fai's heartbeat increased, pounding loudly in his chest. Fai could feel Kurogane's warm breath on his mouth as they inched closer. Then their lips touched, and Fai's eyes slid shut. Fai breathed deep, sighing into the kiss. His mind began to drift off, slipping into ecstasy. Suddenly, a force hit Fai's chest, and he stumbled, as he was pushed back. He staggered backward, until he collided with the tree. Fai looked up and saw Kurogane standing there, a look of horror and confusion on his face. He was staring at his hands, before looking up at Fai. For awhile, they simply stared at each other, then Kurogane turned and swiftly walked away, leaving Fai under the sakura tree. Fai reached out weakly with one hand at Kurogane's retreating form. His arm fell to his side, and then his whole body slid down, collapsing at the foot of tree.

**~END~**

**Woohoo! I hope you LOVED IT! Despite the ending that will inevitably give me some interesting reviews... Hehe. However you felt, tell me in a review! PLEASE! Thank you. :3 I have another Omake in the works, along with the next chapter! Thank you and goodnight! (by the way, I hate how FF dot net doc deletes my indents... it is not proper format! rawr! but I can't do anything about it... orz)  
**


End file.
